Becomes the first Ahmadiyya-owned private Muslim university in Nigeria

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, on Thursday commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for its century-long contributions to education as Nigeria formally inaugurated Minaret University, Ikirun, the first private Muslim university established by the Jamaat.

The inauguration and commencement of academic activities took place at the university’s mini-campus in Ikirun, Osun State, marking a major milestone for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat and faith-based higher education in Nigeria.

Minaret University is a private, faith-based tertiary institution owned by the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It is among the new private universities licensed by the Federal Government on April 31, 2025, with approval to begin operations in nine academic departments.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Adeleke expressed optimism that the university would strengthen Osun State’s educational landscape and pledged his administration’s support for its growth.

“Minaret will surely contribute its quota to the educational development of Osun State and Nigeria,” Adeleke said. He described Osun as one of Nigeria’s most literate states and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education across all levels.

“As a governor, I hold tenaciously to spreading educational opportunities,” Adeleke added, citing his administration’s investments in public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, as well as partnerships with private institutions.

The Ooni of Ife, represented by Dr. Kemade Elugbaju, praised the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat for what he described as a laudable educational achievement. He pledged continued traditional support for the university and offered prayers for its success and distinction among Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning.

The pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdur-Rahman Oladele Abdullah, described Minaret University as a values-driven institution founded on academic excellence, tolerance and innovation.

“Minaret University is a beacon of hope for academic excellence, academic freedom, autonomy, probity, tolerance and equal opportunities,” Abdullah said. He added that the institution aims to become a world-class university contributing to sustainable socio-economic development locally and globally, and appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to support scholarships and academic programmes.

The formal inauguration was conducted by the Chancellor of the university, Barister Alatoye Folorunso Azeez Sahib, who stood in for the Visitor to the university, the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Khalifatul Masih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

Reading the proclamation on behalf of the Visitor, Azeez declared the university officially open for learning, research and community service, and urged the governing council to discharge its responsibilities with humility and diligence for the benefit of humanity.

In his address, the Chancellor traced the vision of Minaret University to a 2013 resolution of the National Consultative Assembly of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Nigeria, under the leadership of Prof. Mashood Adenrele Fashola. He said the proposal received approval from the worldwide leadership of the Ahmadiyya community and progressed through regulatory processes culminating in the formal handover of its operating licence by Nigeria’s Minister of Education earlier in the week.

The university currently operates on a 21-acre mini-campus in Ikirun, with a permanent site spanning 530 acres also located in Ikirun. An additional 500-acre future campus and agricultural settlement is planned for Agbotibi, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Academic programmes approved for take-off include Data Science, Information Technology, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Marketing, and Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Addressing guests on behalf of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. AbdulRasheed Aderinoye congratulated the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, describing the establishment of the university as a significant step for Muslim participation in higher education.

He noted that the Ikirun-Ile-Ife axis is emerging as a university hub and expressed confidence that the institution’s pioneer leadership and students would become globally recognised leaders.

In a goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo, speaking on behalf of the institution’s management, congratulated the proprietors, Governing Council and leadership of Minaret University on what she described as a historic milestone in Nigeria’s higher education landscape.

She said the inauguration reflected vision, commitment and dedication to value-driven education, and praised the investiture of Prof. Abdurrahman Oladele Abdullah as pioneer Vice-Chancellor, citing his academic pedigree and administrative experience as a strong foundation for the new institution.

She also welcomed Minaret University’s formal recognition as a member of the Consortium of Islamic Faith-Based Universities in Nigeria, noting that the recognition underscored shared values of faith, academic excellence and national development, and expressed Fountain University’s readiness for sustained collaboration and partnership.

The event attracted a wide array of dignitaries, including the General Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria, Abdul Jabbar; former Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Abdul Gani Olatunde; Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Prof. Latif F. Oladimeji; senior academics from various institutions; traditional rulers; and religious leaders.

Founded on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s long-standing educational legacy that dates back to the establishment of Nigeria’s first Muslim primary school in Lagos in 1922, Minaret University represents what its proprietors describe as the culmination of decades of commitment to inclusive, faith-informed education under the motto, “Love for all, hatred for none.”

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