Arabel CEO hails Muslim News Nigeria’s 7 years of reporting Islam, praises Publisher’s nearly two decades of journalistic excellence

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Arabel Exclusive Islamic Materials Limited, Alhaja Shareefah Abiola Andu, has paid glowing tribute to the Publisher of Muslim News Nigeria, Alhaji Rasheed Abubakar, describing him as a journalist whose unwavering commitment to excellence has remained unchanged for nearly two decades.

Her heartfelt testimony came during the 7th Anniversary Lecture and Muslim News Awards Presentation held in Lagos, where she joined eminent personalities from across the country to celebrate the newspaper’s journey and contributions to the Nigerian Muslim community.

Speaking emotionally, she recalled meeting Rasheed Abubakar about 18 years ago when he approached her for an interview while working with Encomium magazine, an encounter she said left a lasting impression on her.

Muslim News gathered that by the time the interview took place, Arabel Exclusive had already become a household name among Nigerian Muslims. Through her entrepreneurial vision, Alhaja Abiola-Andu had built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost Muslim business leaders.

Her growing profile attracted the attention of several national media organisations, including the soft sell publication Encomium magazine, which sought to tell her inspiring story as one of the few Muslim women making remarkable strides in business, Islamic entrepreneurship and community development.

Known for her meticulous attention to detail, Alhaja Abiola-Andu explained that she carefully reviews every article written about her because she usually finds areas requiring correction.

However, she said the interview conducted by the young journalist was exceptional.

“I met Abdurrasheed about 18 years ago when he came to interview me. Those who know me know that I am a perfectionist. Whenever anyone wants to write about me, I carefully go through every detail because I usually have observations and corrections. But when he wrote my story, he did it so well that I had no observation at all. From that day, I developed great respect for him,” she said.

She disclosed that she still saves his contact on her phone as “Rasheed Encomium,” a reminder of the period he worked with the magazine, adding that only veteran journalist Kamal Tayo Oropo writes with a similar level of excellence.

“I like excellence and he has demonstrated it again today. Muslim News Nigeria has remained consistent for seven years. I know what it takes to sustain a business in Nigeria today. To remain consistent without so much money is not easy,” she added.

Commends selfless service to the Muslim community

Alhaja Abiola-Andu also praised the Publisher’s selfless dedication to serving the Muslim community through journalism, noting that he regularly covers Islamic events and distributes copies of the newspaper free of charge despite the enormous financial burden involved.

“A lot of times, he goes to programmes to cover them and distributes the newspaper free. I honestly do not know how he does it. I want to say Barakallahu fihi. May Allah continue to be with you, prosper you and open more doors of opportunities for you,” she prayed.

Building a legacy beyond business

Over the decades, Alhaja Abiola-Andu has transformed Arabel Exclusive from an Islamic materials store into one of Africa’s most recognised Islamic lifestyle brands, offering a wide range of Islamic books, clothing, educational materials and lifestyle products while promoting the beauty and values of Islam through enterprise.

Her influence extends far beyond commerce. She has successfully built a multifaceted platform dedicated to projecting positive narratives about Islam through publishing, broadcasting, filmmaking and community development.

In 2023, she ventured into filmmaking with her debut faith based movie, The Two Aishas, which premiered on April 23 before its nationwide cinema release on April 24. The movie, which explores Islamic values, family life and moral responsibility, has continued to receive positive reviews and is now available on Prime Video.

She also holds the television licence for Alif TV, where she continues to champion authentic Islamic programming and educational content aimed at promoting faith, culture and positive values.

Beyond the media space, Alhaja Andu made history in December 2024 when she became the first female Chairperson of the Lekki Phase One Residents Association, leading one of Lagos’ most prominent residential communities with a focus on security, infrastructure, traffic management and transparent leadership.

Through Arabel Exclusive, she also pioneered the annual Ramadan billboard campaign across Lagos, a corporate social responsibility initiative that transforms major parts of the city with inspirational Islamic messages and beautiful visual displays throughout the holy month, promoting peace, hope and spirituality among Nigerians regardless of religious background.