Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has rewarded 19-year-old Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi with ₦20 million following her outstanding performance at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Saudi Arabia.
Maryam, a final-year Physics Education student at Gombe State University, emerged as the winner of the women’s category of the international competition held in Makkah.
She competed against participants from more than 130 countries and recorded a score of 97.70 per cent in the category, which tested contestants on the memorisation, recitation and interpretation of the entire Holy Qur’an.
Her achievement was particularly notable because the 2026 edition marked the first time in the 46-year history of the competition that female contestants were permitted to participate.
The presentation of the ₦20 million reward took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday. Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, led a delegation comprising Maryam’s parents and teachers to present the young scholar to the First Lady.
In addition to the Nigerian reward, Maryam received 300,000 Saudi Riyals from the Saudi authorities as the competition’s grand prize, valued at approximately ₦120 million.
During the reception, Tinubu commended Maryam for bringing recognition to Nigeria and serving as an example of what young Nigerians can achieve through dedication and discipline.
The First Lady also encouraged the teenager to continue with mentorship as she progresses academically and offered to support her pursuit of a master’s degree.
Governor Yahaya described Maryam’s achievement as a source of pride for Gombe State and Nigeria. He also revealed that excellence in Qur’anic competitions runs in her family, noting that Maryam’s elder sister, Hajara, won a similar international competition in Jordan in 2024.
Maryam expressed appreciation to the First Lady for the recognition and financial support, saying she hoped her journey from local Qur’anic competitions in Gombe to an international victory in Saudi Arabia would encourage other young Nigerians to remain committed to their aspirations.
