• Hail newspaper’s role in promoting Islam, celebrating Muslims
As part of preparations for its forthcoming 7th Anniversary Lecture and #MNAwards2025 presentation ceremony, the Muslim News Nigeria team has continued strategic engagements with eminent Muslim personalities across the country, paying courtesy visits to two distinguished honourees in Ilorin, Kwara State.
On Thursday, January 30, 2026, the team undertook separate visits to the respective offices of prominent legal luminary, Prof. Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, and renowned Muslim scholar and Islamic finance expert, Prof. Abdulrazaq Abdulmajeed Alaro.
The visits were led by a member of the organisation’s Editorial Advisory Board, Mallam Mustafa Abubakar, alongside the Kwara State Correspondent of Muslim News Nigeria, Abdullah Abdulganiy.
The team first visited Prof. Yusuf Ali, SAN, before proceeding later in the day to Prof. Alaro’s office, where discussions centred on the mission, growth, and upcoming milestone activities of Muslim News Nigeria.
Both scholars were recently named Nigerian Muslim Persons of the Year in different categories during the 2024/2025 MNAwards session organised by Muslim News Nigeria to celebrate Muslim achievers.
While Prof. Yusuf Ali, SAN, emerged as Nigerian Muslim Legal Person of the Year, Prof. Abdulrazaq Alaro, mni, was honoured as Nigerian Muslim Finance Person of the Year, in recognition of their exceptional service to Islam, scholarship, and national development.
Speaking during the visits, Mallam Mustafa Abubakar formally conveyed the organisation’s message, reintroducing Muslim News Nigeria and its flagship Muslim Personality of the Year Awards initiative to the honourees.
He explained that the delegation was present “to represent The Muslim News Nigeria, under the leadership of Alhaji Rasheed Abubakar, whom you have graciously accepted to receive today despite your very busy schedule.”
Mallam Mustafa said the primary objective of the visits was to officially inform the honourees about the forthcoming 7th Anniversary and Awards Presentation Ceremony, which will feature a special anniversary lecture addressing critical challenges confronting Muslims in Nigeria, particularly in the areas of media reportage, representation, and narrative framing.
“To successfully deliver this programme, we humbly seek your support,” he said, adding that, “It is important to clarify that the awards do not come with any financial gratification. Our appeal is therefore not limited to financial assistance alone, but also includes guidance, moral support, assistance in kind, and other contributions that can help ensure the success of the event.”
He further disclosed that, as part of the anniversary activities, awards would be presented to selected personalities, noting that the Governor of Jigawa State, Mal Umar Namadi, FCA, had already been publicly announced as the overall winner of the Nigerian Muslim Personality of the Year.
“In addition, we deemed it necessary to formally notify our respected fathers, Prof. Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, and Prof. Abdulrazaq Abdulmajeed Alaro, in view of your longstanding and consistent contributions to the advancement of Islam and the Muslim community,” he said, adding that arrangements had been made for official visits where awardees may be unable to attend the ceremony physically.
Mallam Mustafa also used the opportunity to highlight the journey and vision of Muslim News Nigeria over the past seven years.
Established in 2018, he explained, the organisation was founded with a clear mission to serve as a credible Muslim-focused media platform committed to addressing persistent bias, misrepresentation, and under-reporting of Muslim achievements in mainstream media.
“We recognised that Muslims could not continue to lament poor representation without taking deliberate and practical steps to change the narrative,” he said. “As a result, we resolved to focus on amplifying the contributions of under-reported Muslim personalities across various sectors, while also celebrating excellence within the Ummah.”
This vision, Mal Abubakar noted, gave birth to the Muslim Personality of the Year Awards, which have since grown into both Nigerian and Global segments, gaining recognition in countries such as Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, UK, India, Malaysia and Qatar.
The awards cover diverse fields including law, media, health, Islamic finance, education, politics, and governance, with credible Muslim professional bodies involved in the selection process.
Mallam Abubakar added that award recipients are typically featured in national daily newspapers, with special 16-page publication produced in their honour and distributed widely in mosques and Islamic centres across Nigeria. Copies of recent Muslim News Nigeria publications were presented to the honourees during the visits at no cost.
Responding, Prof. Yusuf Ali, SAN, who is the Principal Partner at Ghalib Chambers and the first Kuliyan Geri of the Ilorin Emirate, expressed deep appreciation for the efforts of Muslim News Nigeria in advancing the cause of Islam through responsible journalism.
“We cannot continue to lament,” he said, citing a Qur’an verse that Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves. He pledged his support for Muslim News Nigeria and assured the team of his readiness to contribute to the sustainability and growth of the organisation.
Similarly, Prof. Abdulrazaq Alaro described Muslim News Nigeria as a worthy initiative for Muslims who understand the power of the media in shaping faith narratives and public perception.
“This is a cause that is worth supporting,” he said. “You are doing a very great job on behalf of all of us. We pray that Almighty Allah will sustain you, grant you more resources, strengthen you, and also empower us to assist this noble cause.”
#MNAwards: Background
Over the years, Muslim News Nigeria has honoured distinguished personalities in Nigeria and across the globe for their outstanding achievements, exemplary conduct, and dedicated service to Islam. Now in its fifth edition, the #MNAwards has recognised Muslim achievers across multiple sectors, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to celebrating excellence while reshaping narratives about Muslims locally and globally.
Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
Global Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
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