Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, Reviews National Issues, at 10th General Assembly
MUSWEN President warns against misinformation on US religious freedom report, unveils 2026 economic, education and health initiatives for South West Muslims
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, has criticised the United States government’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), describing the move as the product of “misinformation” from “a few disgruntled, unpatriotic Nigerians.”
Speaking on Sunday at the 10th MUSWEN General Assembly held at the Bola Babalakin Auditorium in Gbongan, Osun State, Oladejo argued that the label threatens Nigeria’s fragile gains in rebuilding international trust after years of insecurity and corruption scandals.
“The redesignation is unfortunate and undeserved,” he said. “But it is not destiny. Nigeria with the support of friends, partners and responsible religious leaders, will reclaim its positive narrative and reassert its leadership as Africa’s moral and democratic compass.”
The event drew a significant political and religious presence, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented state governors, the Sultan of Sokoto, and leading Muslim scholars from across the region.
Oladejo used the gathering to deliver a pointed assessment of Nigeria’s economy one year after the organisation’s last Assembly.
He credited President Tinubu’s administration with stabilising macroeconomic indicators through “bold but painful” reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, unification of exchange rate windows, and tighter monetary oversight.
According to him, the country has recorded its highest GDP growth in seven years, alongside “declining inflation and lower food prices.”
But he warned that high energy costs, rising rents, and the government’s “abysmally poor” patronage of locally produced goods continue to undermine household welfare.
He called for greater investment in rail, roads, and affordable housing, insisting that social spending must match the scale of hardship still felt by ordinary Nigerians.
The MUSWEN President also disclosed that the organisation’s Mediation and Reconciliation Committee intervened in major religious crises in Osun, Ondo, Lagos, and Oyo, including contentious imamship disputes that have triggered court battles and community divisions.
The organisation plans to launch Enlightenment Seminars across all six South West states in 2026 to educate Muslim communities on proper procedures for selecting Imams and defining relationships between mosque administrators and spiritual leaders.
A key highlight of the Assembly was MUSWEN’s unveiling of several infrastructural and economic empowerment initiatives:
• Commissioning of the Alhaja Taibat Ali Shopping Mall in Ibadan, a 12-shop commercial complex donated by legal scholar Prof. Yusuf Ali and fully rebuilt using MUSWEN’s savings.
• Plans to redevelop a bungalow in Abuja and commence construction of a new MUSWEN headquarters in Agodi GRA, Ibadan.
• 2026 roll-out of: region-wide economic empowerment programmes, skills acquisition including AI, robotics and coding, health facilities across all six South West states.
Oladejo said reducing reliance on donors remains a strategic priority.
This year, MUSWEN awarded 12 medical scholarships under the Sultan Abubakar Female Medical Student Scheme. Each recipient also received a laptop donated by the Sultan.
For 2026, the organisation intends to award 120 bursaries, with a long-term target of 600 annually.
The Assembly acknowledged the coronation of the new Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and the new President of the Muslim Community of Lagos State, Alhaji Muhammad Bello Oyinlomo Danmole.
Oladejo also announced the exit of MUSWEN’s Executive Secretary, Prof Muslih Tayo Yahya, after six years of service, with Prof Lateef Wole Abbas appointed as his successor.
In an emotional moment, MUSWEN offered condolences following the deaths of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, describing both as devout Muslims who defended the rights of traditional rulers.
The 10th General Assembly, hosted by the Osun State Muslim Community, followed Lagos’ successful hosting in 2023. The 11th edition will return to Ibadan in 2026, where MUSWEN was founded in 2008.
Oladejo ended his address by thanking the organisation’s committees, volunteers, donors, and leadership, describing their commitment as proof that “the South West Ummah remains united and forward-looking despite economic and social pressures.”
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