NAZAS distributes N175m zakat, leads campaign against poverty

NASFAT Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat, NAZAS, a dedicated arm of Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society dealing with collection and disbursement of zakat has empowered 50 indigent Muslims with N33 million.

The amount represent the N30 million disbursement made for 20 people in September last year and the N3 million Ramadan disbursement made in Ikeja, Lagos.

Chairman of NAZAS and Country Director, Accenture, Niyi Yusuf, said the amount represents a fraction of the N174 million that has been disbursed by the agency in the last five years of its existence.

Yusuf explained the key areas of his agency’s activities and preconditions for accessing the zakat grants.

He said: “ I am highly elated and inspired by the support provided by our donors to NAZAS during the last five years. Your contributions have led to the collection of more than N174 million from which over 615 indigents have benefited.

“ The agency also provides educational scholarship grant to 120 students annually, in addition to organising Health Missions to over 1,500 beneficiaries, and relief missions to internally displaced persons camps in Yobe, Borno, Gombe and Lagos State,” he explained.

Chief Missioner of NASFAT, Sheikh Abdullazeez Onike said it is the wish of NASFAT to explore the potency of Zakat and Sadaqat as formidable instruments to eliminate poverty and hunger in Islam across Nigeria.

Onikepo said the distinctive stance of Islam against many other religions, is its clarity of instructions in worship and obedience to God’s injunctions.

“And one of that is embedded in the institution of Zakat and Sadaqat, which was primarily brought about for the purpose of elimination of poverty and hunger in the land.

“ No doubt, Zakat and Sadaqat can be used to eliminate poverty in the land. And that is the exact intention of NASFAT for the establishment of NAZAS.

“For instance, during the time of Umar Ibn Abdulazeez (May Allah SWT be pleased with him), Zakat fund was available but there was no recipient. This was because everybody was financially self-sustained at the time. And that is the aspiration of NASFAT.

“ What we are doing today is in fulfilment of one of our mission statements: to develop an enlightened Muslim Society, nurtured with true nature of Islam, with focus on welfare and the economic welbeing of mankind.

Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Shamsudeen Afukun, who doubles as the Chairman, Finance and General Purpose Committee, who said besides the N30M disbursed earlier in the (Islamic year) and the N3m handed to 30 people at the event, also gave a breakdown of NAZAS’ annual contributions in the last five years.

According to him, “there was disbursement of N15.3M to 56 beneficiaries in 2014, N39.9M for 198 people in 2015, N36.7M for 116 poor people in 2016, N39.7M for 138 in 2017, and N42.5M for 168 indigents in 2018.”

General Manager of NAZAS, Alhaji Muftau Adelotan, said in an attempt to address the challenge of object poverty in Islam, “NAZAS has resolved to led the aggressive campaigns by sensitising and galvanising all the wealthy Muslims, including average, and middle income earners to giving their wealth in Zakat and Sadaqat regularly for the course of humanity.”

Imam Saheed Adekunle, a member of the NASFAT Mission Board, while praying for the beneficiaries to meet Allah’s mercy in whatever investment they put the grant, urged those among then who have been wealthy before to continue to believe and hold stead to the promise of Allah “that says for after every trials comes relief.”