This post will provide information on "What is the history of Islamic education in Nigeria?" as well as provide answers to questions like: What is the origin of Islamic education in Nigeria? What is the history of Islamic education? What is the history of Islam in Nigeria? When was Islamic education introduced?
It all started in the 9th century when the now Northern part of the country was ruled by Mai Idris Alooma. Islamic faith took its place in the hearts of many Nigerians and in a great part of the country. The religion became really widely spread in the northern region of the country and started its gradual movement to the south where it found more devoted followers.
Islamic education in Nigeria was orchestrated by Arab merchants who were entering the lands from the north. These merchants crossed the Niger River and settled down in the southwestern regions as it’s believed that the Islamic religion and culture came from Mali. This was the time while there was still no Christianity in Nigeria because the European missionaries had not arrived. They were the first to bring the new Islamic education in Nigeria by erecting the first Islamic schools in Nigeria between the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Islamic education has become a part of people’s life during the 19th century. They were involved in the school teaching, efforts to build mosques and other religious places. The very first mosque within Yoruba land was built in 1550 in the current center of the Islamic education. They thought, the more mosques and other cultural buildings there were, the higher the spirit of the local people was and the more locals and foreigners could serve their spiritual needs in such places. Owing to this thought, there appeared more and more mosques around the country and now practically every big city in those lands has its big mosque. In the southwestern parts of the country the number of people who are loyal to the Islamic beliefs is very scanty. Due to this fact, there are not many mosques in this area and even if there were many, they would not have enough people for services.
The Islamic education is aimed at the development and growth of the entire personality. It’s not just teaching and learning subjects; it’s also keeping an eye on the way children’s personalities unfold and develop, the Islamic education in Nigeria is to develop the Muslim side of education.