Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on Tuesday, presented 19-year-old Maryam Ibrahim Dan’azumi, winner of the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Saudi Arabia, to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Maryam, a student of Abubakar Siddiq Community Islamic School for Qur’anic Memorization, Gombe, emerged overall winner recently in the highly prestigious international competition after competing against hundreds of contestants from several countries.
She represented Nigeria in the category for memorization of the entire Holy Qur’an, recitation, Tajweed and interpretation (60 Hizb with Tafsir).
Her victory was particularly historic as it came in the maiden year female contestants were admitted into the 46-year-old competition, making Maryam’s win a landmark achievement.
Receiving Maryam, her parents, teachers and members of the Gombe delegation, Senator Oluremi Tinubu described the young Qur’anic scholar as a source of pride 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.
She commended Maryam’s parents for their upbringing, her teachers for their mentorship, the Gombe State Musabaqa Committee for its support and Governor Inuwa Yahaya for creating an enabling environment for girls and vulnerable children to thrive.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu particularly applauded the Governor and Gombe State First Lady for what she described as purposeful leadership focused on education, gender inclusion and the empowerment of vulnerable groups.
She also singled out the Gombe Tsangaya Integrated School System and Almajiri education programme as models worthy of replication at the national level.
The First Lady, who recalled her visit to Gombe and her firsthand experience of the state’s inclusive and forward-looking governance, stressed the importance of addressing the challenge of Almajiri and out-of-school children.
She said the Renewed Hope initiative of the Federal Government was also prioritising support for women, the girl-child and vulnerable Nigerians, noting that she was encouraged to see a similar commitment being demonstrated in Gombe State.
Senator Tinubu described Gombe as a state blessed with remarkable women, citing the Gombe State First Lady, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, and former House of Representatives member, Hon. Aishatu Jibril Dukku, as examples of accomplished women Maryam could draw inspiration and mentorship from.
She urged the young champion to remain humble, uphold her values and become a role model to other young Nigerians.
As part of the honour, Senator Oluremi Tinubu presented Maryam with N20 million to support her education, alongside other gifts.
Earlier, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said he purposely brought Maryam to the Presidency to demonstrate the state’s gratitude for her historic accomplishment and, more importantly, to affirm that her achievement belonged not only to Gombe but to the entire nation.
“We wanted to show how grateful we are and to demonstrate that this pride is not for Gombe alone, but for the entire nation. We also want this achievement to inspire others,” the Governor said.
Governor Inuwa, who was accompanied by Maryam’s parents, teachers, school authorities and other prominent Gombe indigenes, said the delegation was at the Presidential Villa to enable the First Lady, as the “mother of the nation,” to honour the young champion and bless her achievement.
He acknowledged Senator Tinubu’s commitment to gender inclusivity and the advancement of the girl-child, stressing that Maryam’s victory was particularly significant because she had competed against hundreds of participants from across the world and emerged overall champion for Nigeria.
“We are grateful that she is our daughter from Gombe, but most importantly, she is a Nigerian who went, saw and conquered on behalf of Nigeria,” he said.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also revealed that Maryam’s elder sister, Hajara, had represented Nigeria at an international Qur’anic competition in Jordan previously and emerged overall winner, describing the remarkable achievements of the two sisters as a blessing to Gombe State and Nigeria.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for identifying with Maryam’s achievement through a presidential statement, describing it as evidence of the President’s commitment to celebrating excellence among young Nigerians.
The Governor recalled that his administration had promised to honour Maryam upon her return from Saudi Arabia, saying her meeting with the First Lady represented a fitting national recognition of her historic achievement.
He also stressed Gombe State’s commitment to empowering women and creating opportunities for them to reach their full potential, pointing to the increasing appointment of women into strategic positions in the state as evidence of the administration’s commitment to gender inclusion.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, Dr. Mohammed Sani Idris, commended Gombe State for its uncommon passion for education, particularly its interventions targeting Almajiri and out-of-school children.
He charged other state governors to emulate Inuwa Yahaya’s approach, saying that if the 36 states adopted a similar commitment, the challenge of Almajiri and out-of-school children would be significantly reduced.
Dr. Idris described Maryam’s achievement as a powerful response to the misconception that Qur’anic education is incompatible with Western education.
According to him, Maryam’s accomplishment demonstrates that young people can acquire deep Qur’anic knowledge while pursuing formal education and subsequently deploy both forms of knowledge to achieve excellence and bring honour to the country.
He also appreciated the First Lady for honouring the Qur’anic competition champion, saying the gesture demonstrated respect for the Qur’an and its significance as a holy book worthy of celebration across faith communities.
Speaking on behalf of Abubakar Siddiq Community Islamic School, Herwagana Quarters, Gombe, the Director of Administration, Prof. Tahir Inuwa, said Maryam’s journey to the global stage was the product of sustained excellence.
He explained that she had emerged victorious at the local government and state levels before winning at the national level and subsequently representing Nigeria at the international competition in Saudi Arabia.
Prof. Tahir Inuwa commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his sustained support for the school, the Musabaqa Committee and education generally, noting that Gombe State had increasingly become a reference point in the promotion of inclusive education.
The Gombe delegation that accompanied the Governor and Maryam to the Presidential Villa comprised the First Lady of Gombe State, Dr. Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya; Maryam’s father, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan’azumi; wife of the Gombe State APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Zainab Isiyaku Gwamna; former Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aishatu Jibril Dukku; Presidential Adviser, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar; and Federal Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Ishiyaku Mohammed and Dr. Usman Kalba.
Also in the delegation were the Commissioner for Education, Associate Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Bertha Danja; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tsangaya Education, Sayyada Amina Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.
Also in attendance were Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Architect Yunusa Yakubu; Proprietor, Quantity Surveyor Anas Adamu; Director of School Administration, Professor Tahir Inuwa; and Chairman of the Gombe State Musabaqa Committee, Sheikh Imam Mohammed Adam Ardo, as contained in a statement signed by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe.