First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has given N20m to Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, the Nigerian student who won the King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Saudi Arabia.
The money was presented to Maryam at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. when Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya led a delegation to introduce her to the First Lady.
Governor Yahaya announced the support in a Facebook post, thanking Mrs Tinubu for the “warm reception and N20m support towards Maryam’s education”.
Mrs Tinubu described Maryam’s achievement as a source of pride for Nigerian women and the girl-child.
“Maryam has brought joy to us. You have made us proud by conquering the world, especially in this area of faith and divine knowledge,” she said.
Maryam, a student of Abubakar Siddiq Community School for Qur’anic Memorisation in Gombe, emerged overall winner of the second category of the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Recitation Competition in Makkah.
She scored 97.70 marks in the category covering memorisation of the entire Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation.
Her victory marked the first edition of the 46-year-old competition to admit female contestants.
The Saudi competition reportedly awarded Maryam N120m for her achievement.
The final-year Physics Education student of Gombe State University has also won the female category of the 40th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Qur’anic excellence also runs in her family. Her elder sister, Hajara Ibrahim Dan-Azumi, won the female category of the 18th Hashemite Jordan International Qur’anic Competition in Jordan two years ago.
Governor Yahaya said Maryam’s achievement had brought pride to Gombe State and Nigeria.
He was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by Maryam’s parents, teachers and other members of the Gombe delegation.
