An annual Ramadan lecture dedicated to the memory of late businessman and philanthropist Abdulwaheed Shonibare, Chief Executive Officer of Twice As Nice, was held on Saturday in Ikorodu, Lagos, bringing together Islamic scholars, community leaders, and well-wishers to celebrate a life of quiet but far-reaching generosity.

The event, jointly organised by the Shonibaere Memorial Mosque and the Zumuratul Mubarak Islamic Mission, was chaired by Professor Tunde Akanni, who set the tone in his opening remarks by framing the gathering as both an act of remembrance and worship.

“One of the things we can do to honour the memory of our late brother, Abdulwaheed Shonibare, is to organise a gathering like this to seek Allah’s mercy for him and for ourselves. May Allah accept this as an act of worship from us,” Prof. Akanni said.

The guest lecturer, Ustazh Ahmad Adetola-Kazeem, described the deceased as a just and principled leader whose generosity extended well beyond public view. 

He highlighted Shonibare’s exceptional care for the welfare of his workers, noting that the late businessman made it a yearly tradition to sponsor at least three employees or community members on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

“At least, he sent three people to hajj from his company and his community. He could have spent the money on himself. For every person who gave birth in his company, he would sponsor the naming ceremony,” Ustazh Adetola-Kazeem said.

The cleric further revealed that Shonibare donated more than 20 mosques to various communities, paid the tuition fees of countless individuals, and quietly settled the hospital bills of many people without seeking recognition or publicity for his philanthropic gestures.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, the Chairman of Odi-Olowo Ojuowoye Local Council Development Authority, Hon. Seyi Jakande, added his voice to the tributes, describing the late businessman as someone whose love and warmth touched everyone around him.

Before the event concluded, an appeal was made and donations were collected toward the completion of a mosque project that Shonibare had promised to build for a Lagos community before his passing.

The closing remarks were delivered by Mudaris Abu Habeeba, described by attendees as one of the closest associates of the deceased.