Islamic Insurance (Takaful) is the insurance practice that is established based on ethical faith to provide a risk management product for consumers whose belief has discouraged them to patronize the conventional insurance services.Takaful products are developed to be free from 3 in-built principles (interest, uncertainty and gambling element) that have disqualified any financial transaction to be Sharia compliant. Thus, the paper is aimed at examining the factors that influence the consumers' attitude toward Takaful services patronage in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. To this end, the study examines the extent to which consumers' awareness, perception of Takaful services and the trust and confidence they reposed on Takaful Operators have significant relationship with their attitude towards Takaful services patronage. A structured questionnaire was the only instrument used in collecting the data. Although, the population of the study is indefinite, 384 subjects are administered with the questionnaires using judgmental sampling technique and the employment status of the respondents was the basis for the selection and inclusion of the respondents in the study. The data was analyzed using multiple-regression with SSPS version 17. The paper found that awareness, perception, trust and confidence are significantly related to the consumers' attitude toward Takaful services patronage. It was, therefore, recommended that an attitudinal change campaign is required and rigorous marketing campaign should be embarked upon to create awareness of Takaful service and its Operators. Hence, trust and confidence of people should be won and built in favor of Takaful services.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to establish whether religion (interest) is an impediment to Nigeria’s financial inclusion targets to be achieved by the year 2020. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documentary evidence. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview responses. Findings It was found that all the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) programs that contribute toward achieving financial inclusion are interest-based ones. Further, none of them provides a non-interest window except Commercial Agricultural Credit Schemes (CACS). Even the CACS is not fully Shari’a-compliant, as it requires further modification. Despite the fact that interest is condemned in Islam, a majority of Muslims have been found to be accessing interest-based funds. Hence, interest is not a factor that hinders the achievement of reducing Nigeria’s financial exclusion rate to 20 per cent by the year 2020. Research limitations/implications This study inquired into the programs under the Development Finance Department of the CBN by using semi-structured interviews and documentary evidence. Other programs of the federal government, state governments, NGOs and other private organizations and individuals are not considered. The findings have pointed out the areas to conduct future studies on religion and financial inclusion. Practical implications Although Muslims who complained about interest are a minority, there is the need to provide non-interest windows in the programs before they start shunning these programs, as a lot influential Muslim scholars are currently preaching against the interest. Originality/value The paper is one of the few studies that support the view that interest does not hinder the achievement of financial inclusion in a Muslim majority country.