Inaugural Lecture: The River that Changed its Course: Traversing Academic Disciplines - From Accounting to Community Development - While Remaining in Situ

Abstract

This inaugural paper seeks to respond to the claim by some tertiary education managers that academic career specialization should be rigidly adhered to. While it is undeniable that specialization has it merits, it seems myopic to lose sight of the merits of career switching in the academia for the possible contributions it can make towards expanding the frontiers of knowledge. In this regard, this paper argues that the merits of traversing academic boundaries are obvious that tertiary education officials should not, for bureaucratic reasons, attempt to scuttle genuine efforts at career switching. Even for the larger society, outside the academia, this paper believes that career switching by scholars may open up new vistas that could lead to the enhancement of the quality of life of individuals and communities. While it has been observed that the key feature of the Islamic ideal is the blending of the spiritual and the secular, the economic and the social, through engaging Islamic philanthropy, the vehicle for that engagement seems to be no other than the waqf. But the utilization of waqf as a charitable institution for the provision of community welfare for Muslims in northern Nigeria, for long facing serious socio-economic, in addition to the current insecurity, problems has basically remained untapped. Employing a narrative and analysis of available literature, this exploratory study is limited in scope by the few narratives considered. Highlighting the role of waqf (Islamic endowment) in enhancing public wellbeing, the paper reveals that to harness the institution of waqf effectively requires the involvement of the ulama as change agents. However, the study concludes that for the ulama in northern Nigeria to successfully mobilize philanthropy for community building, it is an imperative for them to undertake a self re-evaluation.