Haruna Rasheed  Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin.

• Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies

Contact e-mail: lawal.am1@unilorin.edu,ng  Tel: +234 803 588 6290

Haruna Rasheed Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies came into existence in the early 2010. The father of the Proprietor, Al-Sheikh Haruna Rasheed, on who the centre was named after him, was a great scholar and Al-Mufasir of Baruba in Ilorin during his lifetime. The Centre is located along Government Technical College road, Madina-Abayawo, It is a citadel of learning that started with two sections, that is, Ibtidaiyat and Idadiyat with focus on the training of Arabic and Islamic scholars. The two sections are equivalent to lower and upper basic schools. After some years of existence, the Centre added the Thanawiyat section which is equivalent to Senior Secondary School. The Centre has been turning out graduates from the sections, and the products of the centre are well groomed and thoroughly bred as this has manifested in the series of Arabic and Islamic competitions they partook and came out victorious.

The Centre has the state of the arts facilities which include adequate and spacious classrooms, well equipped library, conducive office accommodation for teaching and non-teaching staff, hotel accommodation as well as sporting facilities. Aside the presence of the state of the arts facilities, the Centre parades highly qualified teaching personnel with majority of them holding Bachelor’s Degree and a few others  with Master’s and Doctorate  degrees.

The Centre is known for academic excellence and zero tolerance for academic mediocrity. It is in line with this belief, that the Centre organises various academic activities among students. Some of these academic activities are: weekly debate among students and essay writing competitions among others.

It was in the wisdom of the Proprietor of the Centre that the idea of floating a Diploma Programme in affiliation with the University of Ilorin came to being. It was realised that many of the products of the centre who are well versed in the knowledge of Arabic and Islamic studies ended up being Mu^calim –teacher in Arabic or primary schools with the Thanawiyat certificate. Hence, in an attempt to broaden their knowledge and build on their potentials in order to place them at advantage in advancing their pursuance of knowledge, the Diploma programme which will provide ample opportunities for the completer to cross to the University for degree programme after the completion was floated.

The process of securing the approval of the University of Ilorin kicked started and all necessary things were put in place which led to the visitation of the team of experts from the Centre of Affiliated Institutions, University of Ilorin which was led by the then Director of the centre, Prof. Ahmad Shehu Abdulsalam. on resource visitation. After thorough assessment of both human and non-human resources, an approval was eventually granted and academic activities fully commenced for the diploma programme in February, 2024. The maiden matriculation for the first set of students was carried out on February 16^th 2024. Thirty-two students were matriculated.

The Management team of the centre is made up of ;

• Al-Sheikh Abubakar Haruna Rasheed – Proprietor
• Mr La Olanrewaju – Chairman, Board of Governors
• Dr. Lawal, Abdulmumin – Ag. Provost
• Dr. Murtala Akeyede –  Ag. Registrar
• Mr. Abubakar Beeki – Member, Board of Governors
• Ustaz Abdullateef Girigisu – Member, Board of Governors
• Ustaz Tajudeen Abubakar Isola- Member, Board of Governors