The El-Mavericky Centre for Educational Research and Development, in collaboration with the Department of Islamic Studies, University of Abuja (Yakubu Gowon University), has announced an international conference themed “Lives and Legacies of Nigerian Islamic Scholars: Lessons of Unity Amidst Diversity.” https://www.uniabuja.edu.ng/conference-on-nigerian-islamic-scholars
The conference, scheduled to hold from Monday, 15th to Tuesday, 16th December 2025, will take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences Auditorium, University of Abuja, beginning at 10 a.m. daily.
According to the convener and co-chairman of Local Organising Committee, Sulayman Nafiu, the event seeks to “critically examine the lives and legacies of Nigerian Islamic scholars and to extract practical lessons for building unity in diversity.”
It will also “provide a rare opportunity for scholars, students, faith leaders, and the wider public to engage in a dialogue that bridges the past and present, ensuring that these legacies remain effervescent and relevant in shaping Nigeria’s future.”
In its background note, the organisers observed that “Islam in Nigeria has, for decades, been shaped by towering figures of scholarship, spirituality, and reform whose intellectual and moral leadership transformed communities and inspired generations.”
They added that “these scholars were teachers of faith and builders of institutions. They were also community leaders, mediators of conflict, and advocates of justice.”
Highlighting the enduring influence of these figures, the statement noted that “their influence cut across regional, cultural, and sectarian divides, providing models of unity even in diversity.”
Among the distinguished speakers expected at the conference are: “Prof. Mashood Baderin, Professor of Laws and Academic Director, College of Law, SOAS University of London, who will deliver the keynote address; Emeritus Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, as Lead Speaker I; and Prof. Muhammad Babangida Muhammad of Bayero University Kano as Lead Speaker II.”
The Chairman of the Day will be Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, Secretary to the Gombe State Government, while the Special Guest of Honour is Engineer Sulaiman Bolakale Kawu MINEEE, FNSE, FNIPE, FNIPROCE, fhcd, the Dan Iyan of Ilorin Emirate.
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The conference will also feature His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), as the Spiritual Father of the Day.
The organisers noted that “reflecting on the contributions of Nigerian Islamic scholars is not only an act of remembrance; it is an urgent intellectual and spiritual task that can inspire the youth and reframe religious discourse for a new generation.”
Conference papers will explore wide-ranging sub-themes, including “Islamic Education and the Evolution of Learning Institutions in Nigeria,” “Preaching, Spiritual Leadership, and the Quest for Religious Unity,” “Interfaith Dialogue, Religious Pluralism, and Peacebuilding,” and “Digital Islam and the Transformation of Religious Discourse.”
The organisers emphasised that “these diverse figures, while representing different schools of thought and methodologies, share a unifying vision rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah — to promote morality, foster learning, and ensure that Islam remains a force for peace, renewal, and human dignity.”
They concluded that the upcoming conference would “offer profound lessons for healing the rift of Nigeria’s pressing issues such as interfaith tensions, the search for national cohesion, the fight against extremism, the need for quality education, and the struggle to harmonise tradition with modernity.”
