In recent years, poverty in Nigeria is claimed to be a “northern phenomenon” as if only
Northern Nigerians, who are predominantly Muslims, face the scourge of poverty.
Though this claim might be dismissed as a wrong perception, the presence of
itinerant under-aged Qur’anic school pupils (almajirai) as child-beggars in most
urban centres, especially in Northern States’ capitals, gives the impression that
deprivation in Nigeria is restricted to the Muslim-majority northern areas - a
condition that is wrongly attributed to Islam. In prescribing approaches to alleviating
poverty, however, hardly are Islamic perspectives examined as emphasis is invariably
focused on conventional methods. This paper attempts to highlight the relevance and
necessity of using Islamic endowment-waqf (plural awqaf,) in the battle against
poverty in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. The
scope of the paper is limited to exploring the role of three stakeholders: scholars,
merchants and civil society organisations, in overcoming the problem of poverty.
Documentary analysis and secondary data, supplemented with oral reports, were
used. In the main, the study revealed that lack of awareness about awqaf is a great
barrier to harnessing their potentialities in redressing socio-economic inequities and
impacting positively on the welfare of the poor and the needy. The paper concludes
that the impact of poverty alleviation efforts will continue to be partial unless
collaborative, waqf-based participatory initiatives are utilized. Findings of the paper
suggest that the institution of waqf should be employed in the context of unity of
knowledge, wealth and social capital in bringing about a difference in the lives of the
neglected and the deprived in Kano in particular, and other Muslim areas of Nigeria,
for the sake of Allah (SWT).