The Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation has announced that it has disbursed more than ₦5 billion in zakat and sadaqat within the past 25 years, touching the lives of over 100,000 beneficiaries directly and more than 600,000 indirectly across Nigeria.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Prince Sulayman Olagunju, disclosed this in Lagos at the grand finale of the 2025 Zakat Distribution Ceremony, where ₦296.6 million was distributed to 1,835 beneficiaries.
Olagunju explained that the Foundation has so far disbursed over ₦3 billion in zakat and over ₦2 billion in sadaqat, describing it as a testimony to the growth of the institution and the trust it has continued to enjoy from donors.
He revealed that in the 2025 cycle alone, ₦653.2 million was shared among 2,821 beneficiaries across 28 states, making it one of the highest annual disbursements in the Foundation’s history.
“This final leg in Lagos reminds us that zakat is not just a transfer of wealth but the fulfillment of a divine trust. It restores dignity, hope, and opportunity,” he said.
According to him, empowerment, education, and medical support took the lion’s share of this year’s distribution, with ₦283.8 million going to 1,818 people for business start-ups and skills acquisition; ₦53.6 million to 611 students; and ₦51.3 million to 130 patients battling health challenges.
He also highlighted the Foundation’s impact programmes in four major pillars — education support, empowerment initiatives, community development, and welfare and relief — which include paying school fees for orphans, widow support schemes, free water projects in over 50 communities, food distribution, and house rent stipends for the elderly.
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Speaking on one of the Foundation’s most innovative projects, the Business Plan Competition, Olagunju said ₦103 million has been disbursed in the past 10 years to 208 young entrepreneurs. Many of these businesses, he noted, have become sources of livelihood for others, proving that zakat can transform dependency into empowerment.
Looking ahead, he said the Foundation would expand its reach beyond 28 states, scale up empowerment and education initiatives, strengthen medical interventions, and embrace partnerships that will multiply the impact of every contribution.
He expressed appreciation to the donors, partners, staff, volunteers, and community leaders for sustaining the mission, while also acknowledging the presence of the Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Adebola Akindele Ismail, GMD of Courteville Business Solutions Plc, as well as the media team for amplifying the Foundation’s work.
“Our hope is to build a Nigeria where zakat and sadaqat become true instruments of poverty alleviation, social justice, and community transformation,” he said.
