The acclaimed Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Group Chief Executive of Oando PLC, Mr Wale Tinubu, over the weekend, emerged the highest donors at an appeal fund raising and foundation stone laying for the expansion of the Al-Noor Mosque held in Abuja.
The mosque, which is aimed at accommodating 10,000 worshippers at a time, upon completion, is managed by the International Center for Islamic Culture and Education (ICICE).
The centre raked in over 1.5bn at the appeal fund raising, while the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar III, who was represented by the Emir of Keffi, Alh. Shehu Usman Chindo Yamusa III, performed the foundation stone laying of the project, held at the ICICE centre in Abuja.
Earlier at the appeal fund raising, Dangote and Tinubu, who spoke through their representatives, pledged donations of 350 Million and 300 Million respectively for the execution of the project.
The project, according to the Director General of ICICE, Dr Kabir Kabo Usma, upon completion, would accommodate more than 10,000 worshippers at a time, and also have a conference hall, bookshop, printing press and Tahfeez classes.
Usman, in his address at the event, said the expansion of the project was long overdue, adding that the existing mosque now hosts up to 7,000 worshippers at a time, who are far beyond its 1,000 capacity.
He disclosed that the project is expected to be completed in 24 months.
Also, the Chairman, Committee of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Imams, Dr. Tajuddeen Muhammad Bello, who stressed the importance of building a mosque, called on Muslims to donate generously to project.
Other speakers at the event, including the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, the Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe, Sheikh Ismail Ibn Musa Menk and the Chairman of the ICICE Board of Trustees, Professor Ibrahim Sulaiman, called on Muslims to generously contribute to the project because of its importance to the propagation of Islam and its many personal gains in the thereafter.
