The Crescent Bearers (CB), a Lagos-based Muslim association, is set to commemorate 85 years of advancing Islamic education and promoting social integration in Nigeria.
Founded in 1939 by a group of young men from Lagos Island, CB has grown into a model for empowering the Muslim community through religious values and social initiatives, creating a legacy that resonates nationwide.
Over the years, CB has awarded more than 450 scholarships to students across Lagos State and engaged in numerous community-focused initiatives. These include constructing mosques, maintaining cemetery pavilions, and supporting educational research. The group has also worked to bridge sectarian divides within the Muslim community in Lagos.
CB’s vision is driven by a desire to “promote western education for Muslims for their collective improvement and upward social mobility in a colonial society in which Muslims experienced marginalisation and were often subjected to ridicule and social opprobrium due to their religious beliefs and cultural attachments.”
Acting as a bridge for sectional divides and competing tendencies among its members and between various Islamic sects in Lagos, the association has grown strong, with a maximum of 30 members who uphold its ideals.
Its community contributions include the CB 1939 Lagos Masjid, which was donated to the Abijo community. As part of the anniversary celebration, a Jumat service will take place at the mosque today.
Ahead of the anniversary lecture, scheduled for this weekend, the group has called on Muslim Nigerians to embrace “faith-centred family values,” as a framework for national development, underscoring CB’s commitment to “shape responsible citizens through quality education.”
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, will be the special guest of honour at the event. The ceremony will be chaired by Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi of the University of Lagos and will feature keynote speaker, Maryam Lemu, an Islamic motivational speaker and Head of Administration at New Horizons College, Niger State. She will address the theme: “Islam and family values-building a nation of citizens.”