First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has awarded N20m to Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, the Nigerian student who emerged victorious at the King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Saudi Arabia.
The cash support was presented to Maryam on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a visit led by Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
Yahaya announced the donation in a Facebook post, expressing appreciation to the First Lady for the “warm reception and N20m support towards Maryam’s education.”
Maryam, who attends Abubakar Siddiq Community School for Qur’anic Memorisation in Gombe, won the second category of the 46th edition of the international competition held in Makkah.
She recorded 97.70 marks in the category, which tested contestants on memorisation of the entire Holy Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation.
Her victory marked a significant milestone for the competition, as the 46th edition was the first time female contestants were admitted.
Maryam reportedly received a prize of N120m from the Saudi Arabian competition for her achievement.
READ ALSO:Mechanisation Key To Attracting Youths, Empowering Women In Agriculture — Oluremi Tinubu
According to a statement by the Director-General (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli, Tinubu praised Maryam’s accomplishment and described her as an inspiration to 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,” the First Lady said.
Maryam had previously recorded another major achievement in Qur’anic recitation after winning the female category of the 40th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The final-year Physics Education student of Gombe State University also comes from a family with a strong record in international Qur’anic competitions.
Her elder sister, Hajara Ibrahim Dan-Azumi, won the female category of the 18th Hashemite Jordan International Qur’anic Competition in Jordan in 2024.
Yahaya said Maryam’s latest feat had brought honour to both Gombe State and Nigeria.
The governor’s delegation to the Presidential Villa included Maryam’s parents, teachers and other representatives from Gombe State.