First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has awarded N20 million to Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi, the Nigerian student who recently emerged as a winner at the King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Saudi Arabia.
The money was presented to Maryam at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday when Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya led a delegation to introduce the young Qur’anic scholar to the First Lady.
Yahaya disclosed the support in a Facebook post, expressing appreciation to Oluremi Tinubu for what he described as a warm reception and financial assistance towards Maryam’s education.
Maryam, a student of Abubakar Siddiq Community School for Qur’anic Memorisation in Gombe, emerged the overall winner of the second category of the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Recitation Competition held in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
She competed in a category covering memorisation of the entire Holy Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation, recording a score of 97.70 marks.
Her victory was particularly notable because the 2026 edition marked the first time in the 46-year history of the competition that female contestants were admitted.
Maryam’s performance reportedly earned her a prize of about N120 million from the Saudi Arabian competition.
During Tuesday’s reception, the First Lady described the achievement as a source of pride for Nigeria, particularly 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,” Oluremi Tinubu said.
The N20 million support is expected to assist Maryam with her education as she continues her academic and Qur’anic studies.
Maryam has also previously demonstrated her ability in Qur’anic recitation competitions. She won the female category of the 40th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition held in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The final-year Physics Education student of Gombe State University also comes from a family with a strong record in Qur’anic competitions.
Her elder sister, Hajara Ibrahim Dan-Azumi, won the 18th Hashemite Jordan International Qur’anic Competition for Females in Jordan in 2024.
Governor Yahaya said Maryam’s latest international achievement had brought honour to both Gombe State and Nigeria.
He was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by Maryam’s parents, teachers and other members of the Gombe State delegation.
The recognition from the First Lady adds to the honours surrounding Maryam’s victory in Saudi Arabia, following her historic performance in the international Qur’anic competition.
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