By Patricia Uyeh
Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II, in a keynote address at the 3rd International conference on Islamic Banking and Finance, urged wealthy Northerners to use the wealth “Allah has blessed them with“, not only in building mosques but to also educate young girls and discourage early marriage.

His royal highness was quoted saying:
“I’m just tired of people coming to me to say I want to build a new mosque. You know, we keep building mosques and our daughters are illiterates.

“So, my appeal is that if you really want to help Kano, don’t come to me with a request to build a N300m mosque because I have enough mosques everywhere. And if I don’t have a mosque, I’ll build it myself. If you really want to help, go and educate a girl child in the village.”

He also called for a review of laws to prevent early marriages and encouraged the promotion of the girl-child education.

He added: “It is not a mere coincidence that this is where you have the highest levels of illiteracy, early marriage, divorce and the highest levels of domestic violence. People need to understand that the law has to change. If you look at the medical data on maternal health, girls who get pregnant below the age of 15 are five times as likely to die as girls, who get pregnant at the age of 20. Those who get pregnant under 18 are twice as likely to die as those who get pregnant at the age of 20. So, it is important that we look at this issue of early marriage.”

The conference was organised by the Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Bayero University, Kano

Photo credit: ChannelsTV