Continuing Education in Arabic Language for Muslim Professionals in Abuja: Demand, Supply, and Gap Analysis

Muslim professionals in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory increasingly seek continuing Arabic language education to advance their religious practice, professional competitiveness in Islamic finance and diplomacy, and engagement with Arabic-medium Islamic scholarship, yet the provision of high-quality continuing Arabic education in Abuja remains fragmented and under-resourced. This study analyses the demand, supply, and gap in continuing Arabic language education for Muslim professionals in Abuja, providing a basis for strategic programme development. Using a market and needs analysis methodology, the research administers structured questionnaires to 250 Muslim professionals in Abuja's public service, private sector, and civil society, supplemented by mapping and assessment of 20 existing Arabic language continuing education providers including mosque schools, private language centres, and university extension programmes. Provider interviews and student focus groups supplement the survey data. The study finds high and growing demand for professional-level Modern Standard Arabic instruction particularly in Arabic for Islamic finance, Arabic for diplomacy, and advanced Classical Arabic text comprehension, but supply is dominated by basic and Quranic Arabic offerings inadequate to professional needs. Quality assurance across providers is absent, instruction is largely non-standardised, and scheduling is incompatible with professional working hours. The study proposes a modular evening and weekend Arabic Professional Skills Programme framework for the Abuja continuing education market. Keywords: Continuing Arabic education, Muslim professionals, Abuja, needs analysis, professional language development.