Online Qurʼān Academies and Islamic Education Among Nigerian Youth: Between Pedagogical Innovation and Jurisprudential Authority

The proliferation of digital technologies has transformed Islamic educational delivery worldwide, with online Qurʼān academies emerging as significant actors in the Nigerian Muslim educational landscape. This article examines the role of online Qurʼān academies in enhancing Islamic education among youth in Nigeria, with particular attention to both their pedagogical impact and the jurisprudential and regulatory challenges they generate. Employing a systematic qualitative literature review and doctrinal legal analysis, the study situates these academies within the historical trajectory of Nigerian Islamic education, from the traditional Makaranta system to contemporary digital platforms. The article addresses two interconnected questions: how online Qurʼān academies operate and what educational impact they have on Nigerian Muslim youth; and what jurisprudential, regulatory, and legal challenges attend their rise. The findings demonstrate that online academies have significantly expanded access to Qurʼānic instruction, improved tajwīd standards, and strengthened religious identity formation among youth. However, unresolved jurisprudential debates surrounding the validity of online ijāzah, the absence of a regulatory framework, quality assurance deficits, and the persistent digital divide constitute major structural obstacles. The article argues that realising the full potential of online Qurʼān academies requires deliberate policy intervention, scholarly engagement with questions of digital transmission authority, and equitable access mechanisms grounded in Islamic principles of waqf and communal welfare.