metro
Tinubu Rewards Qur’anic Champion Maryam Dan’Azumi With N20m
Tinubu Rewards Qur’anic Champion Maryam Dan’Azumi With N20m
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has rewarded 19-year-old Gombe State Qur’anic scholar Maryam Ibrahim Dan’Azumi with N20 million following her outstanding performance at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Qur’anic Competition in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Oluremi Tinubu presented the cash award to Maryam at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday after the young Qur’anic scholar was formally presented to her by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
The governor was accompanied by Maryam’s father, teachers and other members of the Gombe State delegation during the visit.
In addition to the N20 million reward, the First Lady expressed her willingness to support Maryam in pursuing a master’s degree, encouraging the young scholar to continue her academic development alongside her Qur’anic studies.
Tinubu described Maryam’s achievement as a source of pride for Nigeria and an example of what young Nigerians, particularly girls, can accomplish through dedication, discipline and education.
Maryam attracted international attention in August after emerging winner of the second category of the women’s division at the prestigious King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Competition in Saudi Arabia.
She scored 97.70 marks to take first position in a category that required participants to demonstrate mastery of the entire Holy Qur’an, together with excellence in recitation and interpretation of Qur’anic vocabulary.
The 46th edition of the international competition reportedly attracted 334 contestants from 133 countries, with participants competing across various categories covering Qur’anic memorisation, recitation and interpretation.
Maryam’s victory also earned her a prize of 300,000 Saudi Riyals, widely reported at about N120 million, making the N20 million presented by the First Lady a separate recognition of her achievement.
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Receiving Maryam at the State House, Oluremi Tinubu praised the teenager’s commitment to Qur’anic scholarship and her determination to excel in both religious and formal education.
She also acknowledged the contribution of Maryam’s parents, teachers and mentors, noting that sustained support from families and educators remains important in nurturing young talents.
The First Lady encouraged Maryam to remain committed to her education and to embrace mentorship as she progresses in her academic and personal development.
Maryam’s international success is also part of a remarkable family 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.
The achievements of the two sisters have drawn attention from Nigerian leaders and stakeholders in Islamic education, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu previously congratulating Maryam on her international victory and recognising the role played by her family, teachers and mentors.
According to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Maryam’s success followed years of participation in Qur’anic competitions at different levels.
She reportedly distinguished herself in local and state competitions before progressing to national contests and eventually representing Nigeria at the international competition in Saudi Arabia.
Maryam is a Physics Education student at Gombe State University and also studies at the Abubakar Siddiq Community School for Qur’anic Memorisation in Gombe.
Speaking after her reception at the Presidential Villa, Maryam expressed appreciation to the First Lady for the recognition and financial support.
She said her participation in the Saudi Arabian competition enabled her to interact with contestants from different parts of the world and gain broader exposure.
The young scholar also expressed hope that her achievement would inspire other Nigerian youths to remain committed to education, develop their talents and pursue excellence in their chosen fields.
With the latest N20 million award, Maryam has received substantial financial recognition following her historic performance in Saudi Arabia.
Her 300,000 Saudi Riyal prize came from the King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Competition, while the N20 million reward from Oluremi Tinubu was presented during her visit to the Presidential Villa.
The First Lady’s offer to support Maryam’s postgraduate studies could further strengthen the young scholar’s ability to pursue higher education while continuing her development in Qur’anic scholarship.
Tinubu Rewards Qur’anic Champion Maryam Dan’Azumi With N20m
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metro
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism
The Kaduna State chapter of the APC has appealed for calm after reporting alleged attacks, vandalism and intimidation involving its members and party-related facilities.
The party wants the police and other security agencies to determine what happened and identify those responsible for any offences established by the evidence.
APC Publicity Secretary Sani Dan Azare said vehicles were allegedly damaged during an incident at party premises, while some members and supporters were reportedly assaulted or intimidated elsewhere in the state.
Rather than draw conclusions from the competing claims, the party asked security agencies to examine all credible leads and evidence before taking action.
The appeal comes as political activities intensify in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections. The state has already recorded a separate dispute involving ADC supporters and security operatives during a campaign-related walk, with the parties giving different accounts of the confrontation.
The APC said such incidents should not undermine what it described as progress made in reducing political, ethnic and religious tensions in the state.
It therefore urged political parties, candidates and supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and within the law.
Dan Azare also asked APC members and support groups to avoid retaliation, warning against any form of self-help.
“Let the facts be established. Let due process prevail. Let the law take its course” the party said.
The APC added that anyone with relevant information should make it available to security agencies to help establish what happened and determine whether anyone should face legal action.
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism
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metro
Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down
Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down
As Olalekan Oyeyemi is buried in Osogbo, authorities transfer murder probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department.
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metro
Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan
Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan
Residents and businesses in several parts of Lagos are enduring prolonged power outages, with Ikeja Electric attributing the disruption to significant constraints on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) network.
The development has triggered frustration among electricity consumers who say the prolonged blackout is disrupting household activities and commercial operations, while increasing their dependence on generators and other alternative sources of power.
Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution companies, said the situation was caused by a reduction in the amount of electricity available to it from the transmission network.
According to the company, the transmission constraints have affected the volume of power it can distribute to customers across parts of its franchise area, resulting in extended periods of load-shedding.
The company said it was engaging with TCN over the situation and was working to improve supply to affected communities as soon as additional transmission capacity becomes available.
The latest disruption has affected customers in several parts of Lagos, with residents in areas including Akoka, Egbeda, Ojodu Berger, Ogudu and Shomolu reporting prolonged interruptions.
Some residents said electricity supply had been unavailable for several consecutive days, while others reported intermittent restoration followed by further outages.
The disruption has also affected small businesses and households that rely heavily on electricity for daily activities.
Business operators such as barbers, hairdressers, food vendors, cold-room operators, charging-centre owners, internet-dependent businesses and other small enterprises have been particularly affected by the unreliable supply.
For many households, prolonged outages have also affected refrigeration, water pumping, phone charging, internet access and other basic activities that depend on electricity.
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The situation has forced some residents and businesses to increase their use of generators, adding to operating costs at a time when fuel and other energy expenses remain high.
Some consumers have also resorted to commercial charging centres and other paid alternatives to keep phones, rechargeable devices and business equipment operational.
The latest disruption comes amid continuing challenges across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, where problems involving generation, gas supply, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks can affect electricity availability to consumers.
TCN operates the country’s transmission network, while electricity distribution companies such as Ikeja Electric are responsible for delivering available power to customers through their distribution networks.
This distinction is significant in the latest Lagos outage because Ikeja Electric has attributed the immediate supply shortfall to constraints on the transmission network, rather than announcing a fault affecting its entire distribution system.
Power interruptions in Lagos, however, have previously resulted from different causes.
Parts of the state have experienced outages linked to distribution equipment faults, infrastructure damage, planned maintenance and other incidents affecting electricity infrastructure.
Earlier disruptions in Lagos have also been associated with incidents such as tanker fires damaging electricity infrastructure, while transmission maintenance and constraints have caused supply reductions in other instances.
The varying causes mean that the duration and geographical spread of an outage can differ significantly from one community or electricity feeder to another.
Ikeja Electric has apologised to affected customers over the latest disruption and said it understands the difficulties caused by the reduced supply.
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The company said it was monitoring developments and engaging relevant stakeholders in an effort to restore improved electricity supply.
The latest development has again highlighted concerns over the vulnerability of Lagos residents and businesses to fluctuations in electricity supply.
For many small businesses, prolonged blackouts mean additional spending on diesel or petrol-powered generators, while households face similar costs when alternative electricity sources are required.
The disruption also comes at a time when businesses are already dealing with high operating costs, making extended reliance on generators an additional financial burden.
Consumers have increasingly called for more reliable electricity supply and better coordination among the different operators in Nigeria’s power sector.
The TCN, generation companies and distribution companies form interconnected parts of the electricity supply chain, meaning a constraint at one stage can quickly affect consumers downstream.
For Ikeja Electric customers, the immediate expectation is that transmission constraints will ease and supply will gradually improve across the affected feeders.
Until then, residents and businesses in the affected areas may continue to experience irregular electricity supply depending on available transmission capacity and the operational condition of individual distribution feeders.
The latest outage has therefore renewed the debate over Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges and the need for sustained investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide more stable electricity for homes and businesses.
For Lagos, where thousands of businesses depend on electricity for daily operations, prolonged outages carry consequences beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, household welfare and the cost of doing business.
Ikeja Electric said it would continue to provide updates as the situation develops and work with TCN to improve supply to affected customers.
Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan
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