Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi of Gombe State after she emerged winner of the women’s category at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Tinubu described the achievement as a source of national pride, praising Maryam’s mastery of Qur’anic memorisation, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation, State House reported.
“Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi’s victory in the highly competitive category covering memorisation of the entire Holy Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation is remarkable.
“It has brought immense honour to Nigeria and further demonstrated the excellence, discipline, dedication and intellectual capacity of Nigerian youths,” he said.
The President also highlighted Maryam’s family background in Qur’anic scholarship, noting that her elder sister, Hajara Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, won a similar international Qur’anic competition in Jordan in 2024.
Tinubu described the sisters as an inspiration to young Nigerians and commended their parents, teachers and mentors for the discipline, sacrifice and commitment that supported their achievements.
Remarkable Feat
Maryam, an indigene of Gombe State and a student of Abubakar Siddiq Community Islamic School for Qur’an Memorisation, represented Nigeria in the category covering memorisation of the entire Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation of all 60 Hizb with Tafsir.
She defeated competitors from 132 countries to take the top position and won a prize of 300,000 Saudi Riyals, equivalent to about ₦120 million.
Her victory was also historic as the 2026 edition marked the first participation of female contestants in the competition’s 46-year history.
Maryam had previously achieved success at the national level, emerging first in the female category at Nigeria’s 40th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition. She also won the National Qur’an Recitation Competition of Nana Asma’u in 2024.
Tinubu said Maryam’s achievement demonstrated what Nigerian young people can accomplish through talent, discipline, faith, hard work and dedicated mentorship.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate Maryam on this remarkable victory.
“May Almighty Allah continue to guide, protect and increase her in knowledge and wisdom, and may her achievement inspire many more young Nigerians.”
The President also commended the Saudi authorities and organisers for providing an international platform that promotes Qur’anic memorisation, recitation, understanding and scholarship.