The Society of Muslim Professionals, in partnership with the S.A. Rasheed Foundation, on Saturday empowered 20 beneficiaries, including women entrepreneurs, students, and Islamic groups, during its 8th annual lecture held at the Solar District Group of Schools Hall, Abiola Way, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The event, themed “Nurturing Core Family Values in a Changing World: Parenting and Child Development, Strategies and Challenges,” attracted scholars, government officials, and community leaders.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Idris Jimoh, Senior Registrar at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, stressed the need for parents to adopt patience, empathy, and exemplary conduct in raising children.
“Parenting should be step by step, not rushed. Parents should be explanatory rather than harsh, especially on matters of Islamic teachings and prayers,” he said.
“Divorced parents must avoid planting hatred of one another in their children’s hearts. If you mislead them, you lose credibility in the sight of Allah,” he warned.
In his welcome address, Vice President of the Society of Muslim Professionals, Alhaji Anifowose Mikail, described the Foundation as a beacon of hope for the less privileged, recounting its interventions since inception.
“Since 2018, the Foundation has touched many lives through payment of WAEC and NECO fees for indigent students, settlement of hospital bills at FMC, Lantoro and state hospitals, provision of boreholes, and donations of school uniforms,” he said.
He congratulated the day’s beneficiaries and urged them to “use the token you are receiving wisely and positively.”
The empowerment segment saw seven women entrepreneurs — including Mrs. Adebowale Basirat, Mrs. Abolade Risqot, and Mrs. Lawal Halimah — receive financial support, while eight pupils from primary and secondary schools in Abeokuta benefitted from educational materials.
Five Islamic societies, namely Albarka Society, Nurudeen Society, Barakatudeen Society, Ansarudeen Division 3, and Ansarudeen Youth Movement, were also supported.
The Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Architect Babatunde Jolaoso, who chaired the occasion, commended the organisers for sustaining the annual lecture, describing it as “a platform for promoting Islamic values and community development.”
In her goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Alhaja Oluwatosin Mariam Oloko, underscored the need for parents to raise children with strong moral and Islamic values.
“Our society needs parents who devote time to instilling the right values. That is how we can raise a morally upright generation,” she noted.
Other dignitaries at the event included Professor Akinola Akinlabi, Rector of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; Elder Michael O. Idowu, retired Accountant General of Ogun State; and Alhaji Ajadi, member of the Ogun State Assembly Service Commission.
The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the empowerment initiative in future editions, with Alhaji Mikail pledging that the Society and the Foundation would “continue to champion the cause of the needy.”
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