It is the eighth year since the spiritual guide and mentor Adewale Monsuru started the Islamic Centre for Muslim Youths vision. The initiative has been generating organic buzz and attracting some brands’ curiosity. When it began in 2015, it was to harness the power of youth although it only left room for Muslim participation. But a quick makeover soon led to the mix changing over time, mirroring what Nigeria’s diversity should mean.

Now, budding tech enthusiasts no matter their religions are joining and together are fashioning out a channel to freeze out teenager idleness in Mushin, Lagos. Sunday, 10 December was the day the ICMY unwrapped its latest achievement. It involved a total of 115 graduates taking turns to receive certificates of excellence in the company of religious leaders, loving parents, and well-wishers.

“They treated us the same way, both the Christians and the Muslims,” says 14-year-old Matthew Okosun, a Christian graduate who had just completed a programme at the centre.

Half a year has gone by since he signed up for digital skills training at the centre and “everything was just fine”, beginning from when he linked up with the community and up to the time he graduated.

“[During my] first two weeks there, I was just by myself being silent and not talking to anyone. I come for what I came to learn and go back home when it is evening. 

“Later on, people come to me and ask why I sit down without doing anything and not talking to anybody. From there I started making one or two friends. Now, I can say that most of them know me even though I am a Christian. They treated everybody equally.”

And so the journey into exemplary leadership began for Master Okosun who found himself one time teaching older people who attended the training to gain digital skills just like him. It wasn’t an easy experience for him though when he had to first take a class because he lacked the confidence. But this first attempt at teaching others struck a chord in him – he wanted to help shape his community for success and be useful, so he had to improve.

What started ICMY?

It was the sheer will of founder Adewale Monsuru, also nicknamed Alfa, matched with the close support from his loved ones, as well as the Itire township of Mushin that started and sustained the Islamic Centre for Muslim Youths.

ALSO READ: So what is next after submitting your 3MTT application?

All the moves made so far to groom the tech hub have mainly been crowd-funded and no salaries are paid. The reward, it seems, lies with grooming a vibrant community that can tame the myriad of social problems confronting their country through technology. Itire already exists in a world where Artificial Intelligence applications are making a circle around its surroundings, and so its people and young ones ought to be part of this major element of Industrial 4.0.

“When we first started the programme, based on the venue that we were using, we tagged it only for Muslims. But the opportunity to secure another place entirely arrived, so we decided to expand. 

“Before the venue, we focused on Muslims alone. When we found a new venue, we decided to expand ICYM so that the non-Muslims could also enjoy the networking benefits.”

And what has been a great achievement worthy of the founder’s enjoyment? That is simply the joy of seeing old batches of trainees volunteer to teach new intakes on front-end development or any tech field that used to be a mystery to them.

“My target was to capture the youths. To train them to be literate on what they call the computer because we have the quality, the facilities, knowledge and wisdom that help us to manage and cope with them. 

“We use a method called Train the Trainers.”

What that means is that “those that I have trained before can also come around and train the freshers.” With “that is joy alone” for Alfa Monsuru, and has made him “notice that based on my intention, I have achieved my aims because the products I have trained, I have seen them and they are performing a ‘payback’.” There is satisfaction in seeing one-time trainees blossoming into a mindset that keeps growing and delivering initiatives wherever they might be.

All these outputs aren’t going unnoticed. A top-tier commercial bank spotted a tent that could take walk-ins who quickly needed to open a bank account. It is a testament that business opportunities open up when there is value to deliver.

Shaping communities

Out of the 115 graduates that crossed the training hurdles, many relied on the scholarship that the centre provided, which ensured their entry for free. Without this particular feature, there probably wouldn’t be such a number graduating this year in the Itire community. The young women and girls there probably won’t have found their positioning as digital literates shortly.

“My name is Aisha Aishiru. I never intended to join the Islamic Centre for Muslim Youths, [but] my dad encouraged me. 

“When I saw that the things they were doing were mind-blowing in the aspect of becoming computer literate, I was like ‘Fine, it is better to just add to what I have’ because right from the beginning, I was a computer illiterate as I did not know anything about the computer. So far so good, the training in Office work, design and web development has been lovely.”

If Miss Aishiru gains admission to a tertiary institution soon, she would be heading there. If that doesn’t happen as quickly as anticipated, there is the option of applying for an internship that enables her to practise all she has learned at the centre while deepening her digital literacy skills in a workplace.

ALSO READ: Nigeria’s hopes to digitise public service through Oracle link-up

Based on the experience of doting mum, Mrs Airat Saka, her children joining the Islamic Centre for Muslim Youths has been quite beneficial. If the training hadn’t enrolled her kids for free, she most likely wouldn’t have been able to afford any charges considering the difficult economic realities that she must contend with.

For this excited mother, there is particular happiness in seeing that her chikdren are being properly engaged at the computer school, and they get to maintain their spirituality.

“For my children to be part of the computer training, I love it!” says Mrs Saka. It is “because it improved a lot in [their] lives” according to her.

“I think without [the centre], I don’t think my children can be on scholarship because I don’t have [much money] to train them. 

“But by saying that if your children are good at reading the Quran, they will have a scholarship”, unexpected had been opened for the budding techies. “My children”, adds Mrs Saka “fitted this bracket, [so the centre] gave them the opportunity. 

“I am very grateful to the Muslim community that my children are part of those graduating from the programme.”

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.