Date: 2018-05-22

...receives star prize of N2.8m

22-year-old Sodiq Alabi from Kwara State has emerged the winner of the International Qur'an memorisation competition in Jordan.

Alabi who hails from Ifelodun Local Government of Kwara State, recently graduated from the Department of Industrial Chemistry, Kwara State University, Malete; and he is awaiting his call-up letter for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The six-day International competition which took place at Masjid Shahid in Amman, Jordan, started on Saturday 12th May and terminated on Thursday 17th May 2018.

32 countries participated in the competition which featured memorisers of complete Holy Qur'an only. The countries include Nigeria, Saudi-Arabia, Burkina-Faso, South Africa, Ghana, Bangladesh, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), Qatar and Kuwait among others.

The overall result of the competition put Nigeria's competitor, Alabi in the first position while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain tied in the 2nd position. The two countries were represented by Ahmad Zahraany and Aly Yusuf Aly Isa respectively while Rashid Abdullahi who came from United Arab Emirates placed 3rd.

A cash prize of 5,091 Dinnar (equivalent of N2.8 million) was presented to Alabi, who has since returned to Nigeria.

In a related development, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to give equal recognition to spiritual and academic competitions like it is given to sports and other educational programmes, in order to encourage spiritual devotion among Nigerian youths.

According to a statement by the National Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the call is imperative judging by the several awards won by the youth in various International Qur'an recitation competitions across the globe.

It would be recalled that winners of 2017 National Qur'an recitation competition held in Ilorin in February 2017, later came 1st in the International Qur'an competition held in Makka, Saudi Arabia last October.

"With the latest championship held in Jordan, the time is ripe for the Federal Government to accord spiritual devotion and moral commitment of our youth a pride of place by honouring our champions as it is done in sports.

"If bad attitude of some of our youths are presently threatening our security and giving Nigeria bad image internationally, efforts of our good Ambassadors in this field that yielded good fruits nationally and internationally should be applauded not only by the people but by the federal and state governments." the MMWG stated.