Islamic scholars and experts have warned that poor documentation, weak governance and inadequate sanitation threaten the sustainability of some mosques in Lagos State.

They gave the warning at the annual programme of the Mosque Guidance and Development Lagos Initiative (MGDLI), held in Lagos on Sunday.

The programme had the theme, “Building Better Mosques: Documentation, Good Governance and Hygiene Environment.”

Prof. Saheed Timehin of the Department of Foreign Languages, Lagos State University (LASU), said that proper documentation, good governance and hygiene were essential for sustainable mosque development.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr Timehin said mosques must reflect Islamic values through transparency, accountability, cleanliness and responsible administration.

He said many mosques lacked reliable records of their properties, finances, activities and membership, exposing them to disputes and possible loss of assets.

He urged mosque leaders to preserve land titles, survey plans, waqf deeds and registration certificates to protect property dedicated to Allah.

He also advocated written constitutions, meeting minutes, succession plans and maintenance records to promote institutional continuity.

On hygiene, Mr Timehin urged mosque managers to ensure regular cleaning of toilets, ablution areas, prayer halls and water tanks.

He called for sanitation committees, cleaning schedules, dedicated budgets and proper waste management.

In his welcome address, Chairman of MGDLI, Musoddiq Adele-Sanni,

said inadequate documentation exposed many Lagos mosques to demolition and unlawful sale.

Mr Adele-Sanni said the initiative began during his tenure as chairman of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, following complaints about mosque demolitions across Lagos.

He said that investigations showed that some mosque property had been sold or demolished because donors failed to transfer legal ownership to the mosques.

He recalled that the first sensitisation programme was held on October 28, 2023, at Shamsideen Adisa Central Mosque.

He said the initiative now had more than 20 professionals, including lawyers, journalists, surveyors and engineers.

The Grand Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Sulaiman Abou-Nolla, said proper documentation was essential to protecting mosque properties under the law.

Mr Abou-Nolla urged mosque managers to obtain title documents before commencing construction and comply with relevant legal procedures.

A former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Muhammad-Bello Danmole, urged mosque managers to establish committees for effective and sustainable administration.

During a panel discussion, a former Lagos Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, urged mosques to adopt written constitutions, clear succession plans and electronic documentation.

MrvAbdul-Lateef warned against running mosques as personal establishments and advocated collective management and accountability.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), Dr Oladimeji Animashaun, said mosques needed title documents, survey plans and planning approvals to avoid demolition.

Mr Animashaun urged mosque leaders to regularise property built without the required approvals.

He identified inadequate funding and resistance from some mosque leaders as challenges to proper documentation.

A surveyor, Adegbenga Ojikutu, warned that treating mosque land as family property could expose it to unlawful sales and commercial encroachment.

He advised donors to execute transfer documents, obtain the governor’s consent and register property in the mosque’s name.

The Chief Imam of Satellite Town, Lagos, Abdul-Raham Dauda, lamented poor sanitation in some mosques.

Mr Dauda urged mosque leaders to provide cleaning materials, appoint cleaners and enforce sanitation rules.

He warned that dirty environments could discourage worshippers, spread diseases and undermine Islamic teachings on cleanliness.

The moderator, Shakirah Adunola, said documentation, good governance and hygiene were essential to sustainable mosque development.

She urged mosque leaders to embrace legal compliance, institutional structures and cleanliness to preserve mosques’ spiritual and community roles. 

(NAN)