Although the benefits of the marriage between Islamic principles of Shari'ah and financial services as a new financial architecture have been well documented, however, its adoption within the industry's core markets was lesser than necessary to move the world's economic potential. This study proposed consumer innovativeness as a marketing strategy to improve customers' adoption of the new financial architecture. Utilizing cross sectional study, a survey questionnaire responses were elicited among Islamic banking customers in Northern Nigeria and responses were analyzed using Partial Least Square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings indicated that consumer innovativeness, attitude, as well as subjective norm significantly predicted respondents' intention, while perceived behavioural control was found insignificantly related to behavioural intention. Also, consumer innovativeness moderated the relationship connecting attitude and intention, while evidence for the interaction effect between consumer innovativeness and social norm was not supported. The integration of the theories of planned behaviour and diffusion of innovation in conceiving and initiating appropriate marketing strategy for the new financial architecture were provided and suggestions for future studies discussed.

The purpose of the study is to introduce a new Islamic Double Degree Model that can be use in the longrun to overcome the challenges of qualified manpower for Islamic banking industry. A critical system of literature review with empirical evidences was adopted as a methodology to achieve our purpose. The paper found shortage of Shari'ah scholars as a challenge to the future survival of Islamic banking. Also, Islamic banking employees including senior managers that were recruited from conventional sources lacking the necessary knowledge of Shari'ah principles poses another similar threat. The current Islamic education system was found not sufficient enough to provide the needed supply of 'Islamic experts'. Islamic Double Degree is timely. Other methods and analysis of investigation to validate our findings is beyond the scope of this paper. Also, a comprehensive model with course contents and structure is not provided. The study is primarily beneficial to students of learning and academicians who can delve into further research to support and substantiate our findings. For the researcher, the paper contributes to the stream of existing literature.