President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi of Gombe State for emerging as the winner in the women’s category at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised Maryam’s exceptional performance, noting that she defeated contestants from 132 countries to win SAR300,000, approximately N120 million.
The President described the achievement as a source of national pride and commended Maryam’s elder sister, Hajara Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, who won the 18th Hashemite Jordan International Qur’anic Competition for Females in 2024.
He described the sisters as inspirations to young Nigerians and praised their parents, teachers and mentors for supporting their development.
Tinubu also appreciated Saudi Arabia for providing an international platform that promotes Qur’anic memorisation, recitation, understanding and scholarship.
Historic debut for female contestants
Maryam’s victory came at a landmark edition of the competition, which featured female contestants for the first time in its 46-year history.
Organised by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the event attracted 334 contestants from 133 countries.
More than SAR10.26 million, approximately N4.1 billion, was awarded in prize money.
Maryam, an indigene of Gombe State and a student of Abubakar Siddiq Community Islamic School for Qur’an Memorisation, Gombe, competed in the category covering memorisation of the entire Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation of all 60 Hizb with Tafsir.
Sultan urges investment in girl-child education
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, described Maryam’s performance as a source of pride to Nigeria and the global Muslim Ummah.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 21, 2026, and signed by Prince Bashir Adefaka on behalf of the Sultan’s Media Team, he said the achievement demonstrated the potential of Nigerian Muslim youths when given proper guidance and opportunities.
The Sultan expressed particular delight that a Nigerian girl emerged at the top of the historic edition and stressed the importance of investing in the education and development of the girl child, particularly in Northern Nigeria and across the country.
He said knowledge of Arabic enables Muslim children to understand the Qur’an and practise their faith, while sound education remains essential to building a disciplined and productive society.
The Sultan also recalled the achievement of 17-year-old Nafisa Aminu from Yobe State, who emerged overall best in English language skills at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Finals in London after competing against more than 20,000 participants from 69 countries.
He congratulated Maryam, her parents, teachers, school and the Gombe State Government and prayed that Allah would increase her in knowledge and wisdom.
Maryam follows sister’s international success
Maryam’s achievement adds to the remarkable record of the Dan’Azumi sisters. Hajara won the 18th Hashemite Jordan International Qur’anic Competition for Females in 2024.
Following Hajara’s victory, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami presented her with a car and provided a scholarship to support her education through university graduation.
The Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami Foundation, in a statement signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed, celebrated Maryam’s success and highlighted the sisters’ achievements as evidence of the talent and potential of young Nigerians when given the right support.
Dabiri-Erewa celebrates Nigerian winners
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also congratulated Maryam and Muhammad, who emerged among the 50 winners.
Dabiri-Erewa described their performance as a proud moment for Nigeria, saying they represented the country with distinction and demonstrated the potential of Nigerian youths on the international stage.
She commended Saudi Arabia for its continued commitment to promoting Qur’anic knowledge and bringing contestants from different countries together.
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