By Zainab Faruk
The First Lady of Bauchi State, Hajiya Aishatu Bala Muhammad, has reiterated her commitment to advancing both Islamic and western education for women, particularly married women, while also addressing pressing social challenges in rural communities.
Speaking during a Women’s Ramadan Tafseer session, she emphasized the importance of knowledge acquisition and self-reliance among women. She highlighted the efforts of her Almuhibbah Foundation in empowering women through education, noting the success of the Not Too Late to Learn initiative, which provides both Islamic and western education to married women.
“This Tafseer session has inspired us to establish more centers for women, ensuring that they are constantly reminded of their religious obligations,” she stated.
Beyond religious education, Hajiya Aishatu expressed concern over the alarming challenges faced by rural communities, particularly the lack of Islamic knowledge, poor social integration, and economic hardships. She revealed that during visits to villages, her team discovered disturbing cases of parents administering hard drugs to their children—both boys and girls—so they could endure long hours of farm labor.
“We received security reports confirming that in some local governments, parents, due to their lack of education, buy hard drugs for their children to use while working on farms. This is a serious issue that affects both male and female children,” she lamented.
In response to these challenges, the First Lady called on religious scholars and traditional leaders to extend their outreach beyond the state capital and focus on rural areas where these problems are most prevalent.
“We must not concentrate only on the state capital while challenges continue to grow in the villages. Our scholars should intensify their efforts by reaching out to rural communities with teachings and enlightenment,” she urged.
She reaffirmed her commitment to supporting religious propagation and strengthening Islamiyya schools as role models for others to follow.
“Our foundation will continue to do its best in supporting religious education and ensuring that our villages receive the necessary guidance and awareness to overcome these social issues,” she concluded.
The First Lady’s call to action comes as part of a broader effort to empower women, promote education, and address societal issues affecting vulnerable communities in Bauchi State.