Abuja Declaration (1989)

The Abuja Declarion is the outcome of a conference of the African countries of the (OIC) in
1989 and launched by a communiqué of the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO) founded
during this conference.
The Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO) is a Nigerian satuted Islamic organisation, an
initiative of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Dr. Usman Muhamad Bugaje is the current Secretary-General of the IAO,
The organisation was founded on 28 November 1989 in Abuja,
[1] Nigeria, with the goal to win the whole of Africa for Islam. The statutes and goals [2][3]
are ratified in 1991 and this marks her formal definitive founding. The founding-communiqué
is also called the Abuja Declaration.[4] Starting point for the conference is the fact that Africa
is the only continent with an Islamic majority and therefore Africa should fairly represent
Islam in government and civic life[5]
The plan contains a lot of points that are also common for Christian missionary organisations
as relief and economic progression.
To promote the unity and solidarity of the Muslim ummah throughout Africa and the rest of
the world and to support, encourage and enhance Islamic propagation and resurgence
generally.
To promote peace, harmony and human development and strive to remove all forms of
discrimination, human exploitation and oppression especially in Africa and the world in
general.
To support, enhance and coordinate Da'wah work in all parts of Africa and propagate the
knowledge of Islam throughout the continent.
To promote the dissemination of the knowledge of sharia and support its application to
Muslim communities in Africa.
To strive for the evolution of the economies of the ummah in conformity with the sharia and
the attainment of economic self-sufficiency and self-reliance in Africa by promoting
industrialization, trade and overall economic development.
To encourage and support human resource development programme in Africa, particularly
the education and development of the Muslim youth and to ensure that women are accorded
their rightful place in society as enshrined in the sharia.
To serve as a mouthpiece for the articulation of issues of common concern to Muslim
communities in Africa and the rest of the world.
To undertake research and publications on all aspects of Islamic history and Islamic
intellectual heritage in Africa.
To undertake the translation of Islamic works into various African languages and their
dissemination.
To promote the learning of Arabic language throughout Africa.
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To promote respect and undertake measures for relief and comfort of those in distress in
Africa and other parts of the world.
To promote respect for human rights and dignity and to support, with appropriate means, all
causes of general justice and freedom throughout the world.
To cooperate with other national and international bodies to uplift human dignity and
enhance human welfare in Africa and in the world in.
The IAO consists of four main organisations: [6