Ibrahim Atanda Esq was born on the 8th day of May 1976, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. He attended Adeta Primary School in Ilorin for his elementary education and Government High School, Ilorin for his secondary education. He thereafter went to the Kwara State Polytechnic to obtain a Diploma in Common and Islamic Law. The prestigious University of Ilorin was next on his journey of education from where he bagged an LLB in Common and Islamic Law. For his one-year practical training in law, he proceeded to the Giant-in-the-sun campus of the Nigerian Law School, Bagauda, Kano State. Upon excelling in the Bar Part II examinations of the school, he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003. Ibrahim Atanda observed his mandatory one-year service in Ogun State and commenced his legal practice with the law firm of Toye Coker & Co. He spent ten years in the law firm before proceeding to set up his own law firm in the name of Ibrahim Atanda & Co located at Abeokuta, Ogun State and another branch office in Ilorin, Kwara State. Not to rest on his oars on his journey towards self-improvement, Mr Atanda commenced his postgraduate studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and obtained an LLM degree in 2010. He has also acquired several legal and quasi-legal training in furtherance of continuing legal education.
It is worthy of note that the learned man has exemplified himself by holding various leadership positions at which he performed excellently. Such leadership positions include but not limited to President, Ilorin Emirate Students Union(students from the five local government areas of Asa, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Ilorin West and Moro form this Union) University of Ilorin Chapter between 1999 and 2000, National President of National Association of Kwara State Students between 2000 and 2001, Financial Secretary/Treasurer; Students’ Representative Council of the Kano Campus of the Nigerian Law School, State Secretary Muslim Corpers’ Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter between 2003 and 2004, Financial Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, Abeokuta Branch.. He was the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abeokuta Branch between 2016 and 2018, the National Executive Council Representative representing the Abeokuta Bar between 2018-2020, and a member of the Caretaker Committee of the Abeokuta Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association
His legal practice spans litigation and advocacy in both criminal and civil matters as well as corporate law practice, family law, succession and land law. He is the Principal Partner at Ibrahim Atanda & Co, Abeokuta and Ilorin. He has served as a member of the Local Government and Local Council Development Area Election Petition Tribunal in Ogun State. Ibrahim Atanda Esq is a member of the International Bar Association, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators as well as the Institute of Management Consultants.
Mr lbrahim Atanda is the founder of Ar- Raheem Development Foundation which establishes Ar-Raheem International Schools. In this interview with the editorial committee of Majalatu-Raheem he speaks about the foundation and its contributions to the promotion of lslamic values and the development of the society.
Asalam alaykum sir. A perusal into your profile suggests that it is very rich. Barakallahu fihi sir. Can we further meet you sir?
I am IBRAHIM ATANDA ESQ, FICMC, FIMC, a legal practitioner and Principal Partner of Ibrahim Atanda & Co., with her offices in Abeokuta and Ilorin. By Allah, I am the Founder of Ar-Raheem Development Foundation which Ar-Raheem International Schools are subsidiaries of, and the Chairman of Al-Hilaal Medicare Centre.
We are quite aware of Ar-Raheem Development Foundation. As the founder sir, what is the idea behind its establishment? And what is the foundation all about? What objectives do you set out to achieve?
Our objectives, among several others, are the establishment and maintenance of Islamic and religious oriented educational institutions, mosques, operations of medical centers, etc, assistance of the less privileged members of the societies through interest free loans, scholarship programs, support for mental health and wellbeing of the populace as well as social development.
Other objectives of the Foundation are to bring members under one united body for the propagation of Islam, preaching and propagating the tenets of Islam in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah in all parts of Nigeria and the globe while serving as a fore-runner in the propagation of Islam, through organization of seminars, workshops, conferences, training programs and distribution of religious literature in tune with the fundamental beliefs of the Foundation. Basically, the list is inexhaustible.
Sir, what are the achievements and contributions of the foundation to the society?
The Foundation has established Ar-Raheem International Schools which are international schools of repute and consist of a Quranic Memorization and Arabic School and a top tier international secondary school i.e., Ar-Raheem International College, both of which caters for the Islamic, Arabic and Conventional education needs of her students. The Ar-Raheem Quranic Memorization and Arabic School which was established in 2015 has graduated One Hundred and Fifty pupils who have memorized the Quran completely and can speak and write fluently in Arabic as at 2022. All students presently in the secondary school have memorized the Holy Quran completely and learn under the tutelage of highly qualified teachers, a one of its kind syllabus that puts them at the forefront with their peers all over the globe.
The Foundation has also given scholarship opportunities to about Two Hundred persons across secondary and tertiary levels of education while also advancing non-interest loans to support businesses and livelihoods.
One of the brainchildren of the foundation is Ar-Raheem International schools. Unlike other conventional schools, what makes these schools unique and outstanding?
For the Ar-Raheem Quran Memorization and Arabic School, students are admitted after completing their primary school education and in three years, learn to speak and write fluently in Arabic, memorise the Quran completely, learn the fiqh (i.e. jurisprudence), the Sunnah etc. By the end of their studies, students from the school can conveniently communicate in Arabic fluently and we have received commendations from native Arabic speakers and non-natives alike on the erudition of our students.
As regards the secondary school, all students have memorised the Quran completely and currently studying in an environment equipped with required facilities including laboratories, libraries and conducive classrooms.
In both schools, we have high staff strength consisting of persons who have been selected through a fine-toothed comb process, who are dedicated to their duties and we ensure that members of staff are not overworked. Both schools offer full boarding facilities which we have made as close to home as possible. Our classrooms and hostels alike are not congested as we ensure that there is a baseline number of fifteen students in a classroom for the secondary school and eight students for the Quran memorization school.
In order to ensure physical fitness of our students, there is an array of sporting activities ranging from football, tennis, horse riding which students are encouraged to participate in. Consultants have been engaged to build a standard sports arena towards the goal of improving participation in sports for our students.
Over the years of expertly steering the affairs of the foundation, there are definitely challenges. Sir what are those challenges and what measures are being taken to overcome them?
As the Foundation is non-profit, the main challenge we face is that of financing. It is financially intensive to run two schools of international standard as the running cost which include payment of staff, general running costs, maintenance and feeding is no joke, especially one in which parents pay below the standard of what the school offers. As a matter of fact, in instances where parents are unable to pay, the foundation has to step in to fill the gap.
At this juncture, I must appreciate the staff of both schools and the entire Foundation for their good work and commitment to achieving the goal of the Foundation.
Sir, what plans do you have to take the foundation to an enviable position?
With prayers to Allah and His divine assistance, we hope to take the Foundation to greater heights. We have set plans in motion to further improve the standard of the school so that they stand as the best amongst equals. We also have several plans in the pipeline to further improve the standards of the Foundation with a view to contributing to humanity.
Lastly sir, learning from your own journey to this notable achievement, what advice do you have for the present day youths towards achieving a greater height? Patience, hard work and consistency have their sure rewards. Youths should keep in mind the anecdote of the airplane and not lose focus due to the situation they are in. Most importantly, they should not lose sight of the fact of the reason we are all here, to worship Allah through our actions and deeds. I must also add that they should strive to learn skills alongside their conventional education in order to better themselves and make them self-reliant. I also advise that they shun vices and all other acts that would soil their reputation and future.
– Ibrahim Atanda (Esq) Ll.B (Ilorin), Bl, Ll.M(Ife), Ficmc,Fimc
