Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to modernising Qur’anic education and aligning it with contemporary educational standards.
He gave the assurance on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 40th State Qur’anic Recitation Competition held at the Sir Ahmadu Bello Hall in Dutse, the state capital.
The governor described the presence of young Qur’anic students as ‘a tremendous blessing’ for the state, noting that Qur’anic knowledge plays a vital role in shaping character and enriching lives.
He urged participants to live by the teachings of the Qur’an, stressing that this would ensure its preservation across generations.
‘Having these young students among us is indeed a great blessing. We see the great benefit of this Qur’anic recitation competition.
‘When a person has religious knowledge, especially Qur’anic knowledge, life becomes easier for them. Therefore, for these students whom Allah has blessed with the gift of memorising the Qur’an, we are grateful,’ he said.
Namadi noted that the close margin between winners and runners-up reflected the high level of competence among contestants.
He pledged sustained government support for Qur’anic education through the Tsangaya Education Board, which integrates Qur’anic studies into the state’s formal education system with a dedicated budget.
‘As a government, we will continue to promote Qur’anic education. This is why we established the Tsangaya Education Board to incorporate Qur’anic studies into the state curriculum. Just as every sector has a budget, Qur’anic education will also have its own allocation because we see a bright future in this area,’ he said.
The governor also announced that outstanding students would now be sponsored to pursue further studies, either in Qur’anic education or secular fields such as engineering and medicine.
Namadi recalled Jigawa’s successful hosting of an international Qur’anic recitation contest introduced to Nigeria by the Imam of Madinah and disclosed that the state had been approved to host the 2026 National Qur’anic Recitation Competition.
The 2025 edition of the competition featured male and female contestants across various categories, covering the recitation of two, ten, thirty, and sixty parts of the Holy Qur’an.