Muslim Hands International (MHI) has officially inaugurated the Muslim Hands Toyibat School of Excellence in Lagos. The opening marks a significant milestone for the UK-headquartered NGO, representing its first permanent educational institution in Nigeria after 35 years of global humanitarian operations.

For decades, the name “Toyibat” has been synonymous with Islamic education in Nigeria, the historic site in Medina Estate, Gbagada, the school was originally the brainchild of the late Alhaja Toyibat Yusuf, a pioneering educationist who established the first Islamic private school in Nigeria in the late 1970s.

According to the organization’s leadership, the facility, dedicated to orphans and children from vulnerable backgrounds, is designed to be more than a traditional classroom.

Addressing a crowd of local dignitaries, parents and community leaders, the chairman and founder of Muslim Hands International, Syed Lakhte Hassanain, said the NGO is not in Nigeria for business but to empower the youth with education. “We are not here for business; we are here to empower.”

He detailed an ambitious roadmap for the site, which will eventually house specialized centers for Information Technology, mechanics and Artificial Intelligence. The goal, he stated, is to provide intensive training ranging from six months to two years, ensuring graduates can bypass the cycle of unemployment.

Despite its religious roots, the organization’s leadership was keen to stress a policy of strict political neutrality and secular inclusivity.

“We have never been involved in local or religious politics in our 35 years of existence,” Hassanain asserted. “The children are the future; if we play politics, we destroy them. Non-Muslim children can and should attend our schools because every child deserves quality education.”

The Lagos State government, represented by Orunsolu Ismaheel Adebayo on behalf of the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, welcomed the partnership. In a statement reflecting the state’s “THEMES” agenda, the government acknowledged that the burden of educating Nigeria’s youth cannot be carried by the public sector alone.

“Education is a universal language; it connects nations and bridges cultures,” Adebayo said. “Strategic partnerships with credible organizations such as Muslim Hands are indispensable in delivering education that is not only academically rigorous but morally grounded.”

The school sits on a site formerly managed by a local proprietor. The transition was marked by an emotional tribute from the son of the late former owner, Mr. Kola James, who thanked the charity for sustaining the legacy of his mother’s commitment to the community.

A member of MHI Board of Trustees, Mawlana Jeelani Ghulam, who remarked that the charity’s mission transcends skin color or ethnic background. “The Lagos project joins a network of over 100 schools managed by Muslim Hands across 30 countries.”

MHI Global Director of Education, Muhammad Zahid Azeez, noted that the organization currently oversees 600 government-partnered schools worldwide, utilizing a diverse pedagogical approach that draws from MHI, Nigeria Director, Nurudeen Ibrahim, confirmed that initial investments have been directed toward modernizing laboratories and beautifying classrooms to create an environment conducive to high-level learning.

As curtains felled on the ceremony with commendations from leaders of MUSWEN (Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria) – Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo and Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, the message was clear: the Toyibat School of Excellence is poised to be a blueprint for future technical and AI-focused institutions across the country. (The Guardian)

•PHOTO: Chairman and founder of Muslim Hands International (MHI) UK, Syed Lakhte Hassanain cutting the ribbon, with him: MHI Global Director of Education, Muhammad Zahid Azeez (left); MHI Board of Trustees, Mawlana Jeelani Ghulam; proprietor’s son, Kola James and Director, MHI, Nigeria, Nurudeen Ibrahim during Muslim Hands Toyibat School of Excellence inauguration ceremony in Lagos.