* The Believing Women Organisation highlights mentorship, responsibility and empowerment of younger generations
The future of the Muslim Ummah depends, in part, on how well the present generation prepares young women to lead with faith, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility.
This was the central message at the 31st Annual Convention of Al-Mu’minaat (The Believing Women) Organisation, Lagos State, where speakers called on Muslim women to embrace purposeful leadership, mentor younger generations and contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities.
The convention, themed “Empowering the Next Generation: Leadership, Integrity and Responsibility,” held on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the TMC Dawah Centre, Ijesha, Lagos.
Muslim News gathered that the convention brought together members and leaders of the organisation to elect new local government executives, review its activities, assess its progress and discuss ways to strengthen its leadership and community engagement.
Leadership is an amanah
Delivering the guest lecture, former National Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat, Hajia Nimotallah Abdul-Quadir, said leadership should be rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah and defined by faith, integrity, service and responsibility rather than titles or positions.
“We gather around one purpose: nurturing leadership grounded in the Qur’an and Sunnah, leadership defined by faith, integrity, service and responsibility,” she said.
Referring to Qur’an 9:71, which describes believing men and women as allies of one another, Hajia Abdul-Quadir reminded participants that Muslim women have important roles to play in promoting good, discouraging wrongdoing and strengthening their communities.
She described leadership as an amanah (trust), identifying justice, sincerity, consultation, truthfulness, compassion and accountability as essential qualities of anyone entrusted with responsibility.
According to her, Muslim women must demonstrate these values in their homes, workplaces, organisations and wider society, noting that leadership begins with personal conduct and the willingness to serve others.
She encouraged women to raise children with Islamic values, educate and mentor younger people, support one another and create opportunities for women to develop their knowledge and leadership abilities.
“Mutual support is not optional. It is how a community carries faith into action,” she said.
Mentorship and preparing the next generation
The former national Amirah stressed the importance of creating opportunities for younger women to learn, serve and assume responsibilities within the organisation and the wider Muslim community.
She urged women already occupying leadership positions to share their knowledge, provide mentorship and allow younger members to take on meaningful assignments.
“Pass the torch. Open the door,” she said, encouraging established leaders to give younger women room to demonstrate their abilities, learn from mistakes and grow through experience.
She also highlighted the importance of building leadership from within through sound Islamic knowledge, effective communication, decision-making, honesty, humility, patience and accountability.
On integrity, Hajia Abdul-Quadir explained that it must reflect in both public and private conduct, including relationships, business dealings, social media activities and everyday decisions.
She cited ordinary situations such as returning excess change, admitting mistakes, refusing to engage in gossip and choosing fairness as practical ways of demonstrating integrity.
She also urged Muslim women to remain steadfast in their values despite peer pressure, societal expectations, social media influence and other challenges.
Balancing family, career and religious obligations
Addressing the demands placed on Muslim women, the guest lecturer acknowledged the challenges of combining motherhood, career, worship, family responsibilities and community service.
She advocated a balanced approach that recognises the different responsibilities women carry, stressing the need for proper prioritisation, time management, healthy boundaries and sincerity of purpose.
“Integration, not perfection,” she said, encouraging women to pursue their different responsibilities without allowing unrealistic expectations to undermine their well-being.
She also addressed pressures arising from discrimination, misconceptions about Islam and challenges in education and professional life, urging Muslim women to remain confident in their identity and resilient in the face of difficulties.
“You can succeed without surrendering your Islamic values,” she said.
The lecturer identified confidence, discipline and resilience as three important qualities for developing grounded Muslim leaders.
“A confident Muslim woman knows her values. A disciplined woman commits to responsibilities. A resilient woman overcomes challenges with faith,” she said.
She further called for stronger sisterhood, urging members to avoid jealousy and gossip and instead cultivate compassion, mentorship and mutual encouragement.
“Empowerment grows when another sister’s success feels like our shared success,” she added.
National Amirah highlights leadership development, capacity building
The National Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat, Builder Jelilat Oyelade Abdulhamid, emphasised the importance of leadership development and capacity building in preparing younger members to take up leadership responsibilities within the organisation.
Builder Abdulhamid, who led the organisation’s national leadership to its annual convention, described the gathering as an opportunity to review activities, assess performance and identify areas for improvement.
She said the convention provided a platform for evaluating the organisation’s achievements against its objectives and determining strategies for moving forward.
“This is our annual state convention. It is a programme where we review what we have done, assess ourselves and evaluate our performance using key performance indicators. We look at our work, how well we have performed and how we can forge ahead,” she said.
The National Amirah disclosed that similar conventions were being organised across the country, with Kaduna and Lagos among the states holding theirs, while some others were scheduled for the following week.
Speaking on efforts to equip younger Muslim women for leadership and involve them in decision-making, she said Al-Mu’minaat had established structures at the branch, local government, state and national levels to encourage members to take up leadership positions.
She explained that the organisation also provides training through seminars and camping programmes to equip members with the skills required to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
“We encourage our members to take up positions and ensure that they carry out the responsibilities attached to those positions. We also assist them through training and seminars, as well as camping programmes,” she said.
Education Officer urges Muslim women to uphold Islamic values
Also speaking, the National Education Officer of Al-Mu’minaat, Hajia Khadijah Abdussalam, a retired civil servant with 32 years of service at the Ministry of Education, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting children’s education and ensuring that no child is left behind.
She said the organisation was working to improve children’s access to education and prepare them for leadership responsibilities, stressing that educating women and children was essential to building a better society.
“As a women’s organisation, we have to take care of our children and our future. We have to make them today’s leaders, not tomorrow’s, because tomorrow’s leaders are today’s leaders,” she said.
Hajia Abdussalam noted that Al-Mu’minaat also places emphasis on good conduct and personal example, urging members to demonstrate the values they want younger generations to imbibe.
Leadership as a responsibility and act of worship
Commenting on the convention, the education officer said the selection of new officers was an opportunity to remind members that leadership positions come with responsibilities and should be approached as acts of worship and service to Allah.
She urged the incoming officers to remain committed to their duties, noting that effective service requires sacrifices of time, resources and personal effort.
Muslim women urged to uphold Islamic values
On how Muslim women could contribute more to national development without compromising their Islamic values, Hajia Abdussalam urged them to remain steadfast in their faith and uphold Islamic principles in their workplaces and other areas of public engagement.
Lagos Amirah outlines activities, plans
In her welcome address, the Lagos State Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat, Hajia Bilqis Abdullah, said the theme was chosen to reflect the organisation’s leadership transition at the local government level and the need to equip members to take on greater responsibilities.
She noted that the next generation should not be seen merely as future leaders, as many younger members were already occupying leadership positions and contributing to the organisation’s activities.
Hajia Abdullah described leadership as influence rather than the possession of a title, while stressing that integrity involves doing what is right even when no one is watching.
Reviewing activities during the year, she listed regular meetings, monthly workshops, weekly Tarbiyyah sessions, elite forums, Arabic classes and joint monthly Tarbiyyah programmes among the organisation’s activities.
She also highlighted humanitarian visits to Kirikiri Correctional Centre, hospitals, orphanages and people with special needs, as well as an educational excursion organised for pupils of TFHI schools to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Other activities included marital guidance and counselling seminars, health awareness programmes, professional and entrepreneurship seminars, mosque cleaning and environmental sanitation exercises across local government areas.
The organisation also sustained its weekly Al-Hiddaayah radio programme and social media activities, while its intervention efforts included assisting a Muslim woman who had wandered from Ilorin to Lagos due to a mental health condition.
According to the Lagos State Amirah, the woman received care, medical attention and support for about two months before the organisation, with the assistance of well-meaning Nigerians, reunited her with her family.She further mentioned an award ceremony organised to appreciate patronesses and other Nigerians who had supported the organisation.
Hajia Abdullah also highlighted a collaboration with the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), through which members were educated on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, support for people living with HIV, relevant laws protecting them against stigmatisation and available treatment services.
Looking ahead, she disclosed that 170 women had been trained during the year under review in baking, catering, production of household products and decoration.
She said the organisation planned to establish a business hub and extend its weekly radio programme to other languages and stations.
She also announced plans to register and inaugurate an Entrepreneurship Development Institute to provide women with vocational skills and business orientation.
Calls for concern over Gaza, security and 2027 elections
The Lagos State Amirah expressed concern over the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging Muslims not to stop speaking about Palestinians and their plight.
She drew attention to the difficult conditions faced by displaced families, including those living in tents exposed to flooding and other harsh conditions.
On Nigeria’s security situation, Abdullah acknowledged government efforts to address insecurity but said more needed to be done to protect lives and property.
She expressed concern over persistent killings, kidnappings and banditry, particularly attacks on vulnerable communities, and urged authorities to intensify efforts to secure the country.
She also called on Muslim women to be politically conscious and responsible ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them not to allow political interests, temporary gains or sentiments to undermine their values, sisterhood and peaceful coexistence.
She emphasised that women’s votes and voices matter, adding that elected leaders must regard public office as an amanah rather than an avenue for personal gain.
According to her, Nigerians deserve justice, accountability, purposeful leadership and good governance.
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