THE ROLES OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF ZAKAH IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Zakah is collected in cash or kind from the wealth of the rich as a means of helping the poor and the betterment of the lots of beneficiaries. It is an established tradition in the Muslim world that Zakah is collected by administrators who are appointed by the government. This practice was re-enacted after the establishment of Zakah institutions in Northern Nigeria. The laws establishing the institutions stated the duties of their personnel and the composition of committees responsible for the collection and distribution of Zakah. But inadequate personnel and the size of the areas of operation of the collection committees necessitated the recruitment of individuals who were not the staff of the Zakah institutions. This paper employs qualitative method in examining the services rendered by volunteers in institutional administration of Zakah. The aim is to find out the types of services and level of participation of volunteers in the administration of Zakah in Northern Nigeria. Thus, volunteers actively participate in the collection and distribution of Zakah at the levels of state, Emirate, local government, district, village and ward. They collect and distribute the proceeds on behalf of the institutions, help the contributors in calculation, and prepare reports which form part of the annual reports put together by the institutions. They facilitate the services of the institutions at the grassroots and help in reaching out to the beneficiaries at that level. In this way the volunteers save some costs for the institutions that would have been incurred by employing workers to carry out such services. However, the volunteers face challenges of insecurity, lack of recognition by some district heads and contributors. Strengthening the volunteers legal prescriptions by the states of Kano, Bauchi and Niger, will help in enhancing their services in the collection and distribution of Zakah.