Muslim clerics have called for the creation of dedicated marriage counselling units in central mosques across Nigeria to help intending couples prepare for marriage and provide guidance to couples facing difficulties in their homes.
The call was made at the 2026 Ajase-Ipo Annual Imams Conference in Kwara State, where Islamic scholars and community leaders urged imams to become more actively involved in addressing the challenges confronting Muslim families.
The three-day conference, which began on Friday and ends on Sunday, is themed “Imams and the Muslim Home.”
Speaking during the programme, the Guest Lecturer and Orator of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Dr Haruna Sanusi Lafiagi, expressed concern over the growing rate of divorce and argued that many couples enter marriage without adequate preparation for the responsibilities ahead.
Lafiagi, who spoke on “Role of Imams in Sustaining Muslim Marriages and Creating Ideal Muslim Homes,” said the brief marriage lectures traditionally delivered on wedding days were not enough to prepare couples for married life.
He called for a more structured approach in which intending couples would undergo counselling well before their wedding ceremonies.
“I have long realised that the lectures that are delivered on the day of the marriage are often too short because there is no time, and they really do not have any effect, any positive effect, on the marriage,” he said.
“But if there is a build-up to the marriage, then it will go a long way in addressing these issues.”
According to him, young Muslims preparing for marriage should be exposed to regular workshops and conferences where they can learn about the rights, duties and responsibilities of husbands and wives.
He also stressed that counselling should not stop once the marriage ceremony is over.
Rather, he said imams and mosque authorities should maintain contact with couples and provide post-marital guidance when problems emerge.
Lafiagi further encouraged married couples, particularly younger ones, to participate in marriage seminars where they could interact with older couples who have spent many years together.
He said such interaction could allow younger couples to learn from the experiences of those who had navigated the challenges of married life over several decades.
“When we have this interaction between the older generation and the younger one, it will go a long way in addressing many of the issues that couples face in society today,” he said.
The university don also urged imams to make their Friday sermons and mosque lectures more responsive to the realities facing Muslims in contemporary society.
He identified gambling, drug abuse, cultism and money rituals among issues that should receive greater attention in religious teachings.
According to him, imams must understand developments within their communities and use their platforms to educate worshippers about emerging social problems rather than limiting sermons to traditional themes.
Lafiagi also criticised the tendency to place greater emphasis on entertainment and lavish spending during weddings while giving comparatively little attention to preparing couples for the spiritual, moral and practical demands of marriage.
He urged couples and their families to place greater emphasis on the Islamic principles and responsibilities that should form the foundation of a home.
Supporting the call for institutionalised counselling, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Bolaji Yahaya Alebiosu, said every central mosque should consider establishing a department specifically responsible for marriage-related matters.
The monarch said the growing number of failed marriages made it increasingly important for intending couples to understand the Islamic nature of the marriage contract before taking the step.
He also stressed the importance of continued support after marriage, saying couples should have access to trusted religious guidance when disagreements or other difficulties arise.
“In every central mosque, there should be a department that oversees marriage, particularly in the aspect of premarital counselling and the aspect of post-marital follow-up, so that our marriages can stand the test of time,” the monarch said.
The organiser of the conference, Alhaja Ramat Soliu Akonsi, said the annual event was created to address issues affecting Muslim families and provide members of the community with practical knowledge for strengthening their homes.
According to Akonsi, the 2026 edition is the third since the programme began and has continued to expand.
She disclosed that the latest edition introduced a dedicated session for women, held on Friday, while the public lecture was scheduled for Saturday.
The discussions at the conference ultimately centred on the need for marriage to be treated not simply as a wedding-day event, but as a lifelong responsibility requiring preparation, communication, guidance and continued support from families and religious institutions.
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