National Mosques launches appeal fund for N29bn project

Management of the Abuja National Mosque has launched an appeal for funding of revenue generating edifice that would financially sustain activities of the mosque.

The call was made at a stakeholders’ meeting during the weekend in Abuja to brainstorm on how funds could be sourced for the development and construction of a N29 billion shopping mall and other structures.

The Murshid of the mosque, Prof Shehu Galadanci, stated that the endeavour was to enable its financial independence towards supporting Da’awah and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.

He said the last appeal fund organised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not factor how the mosque could stand alone to cater for its responsibility but focused on the repairs of dilapidated areas.

He, however, disclosed that there was discussion with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to raise capital for the project but emphasised on donations from well-todo Muslims to support the work.

Ibrahim Bunu, an architect, who served as the Chairman, Technical Committee of the project, said the project would sit on 2.2 hectares of land with construction in three phases.

The former minister of FCT revealed that the land would house residential areas, office buildings, hotels among other structures that would fetch money for the mosque.

He stated that the appeal was for the first phase which is the shopping mall as it would be too expensive to undertake all at once. On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged all Nigerian Muslims to take ownership of the project.