The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa'ad, also honoured the winner with the traditional title of Modibbon Sokoto.

The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has donated N10 million to Nura Abdullahi, who emerged as the overall winner of the National Qur'anic Recitation Competition.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa'ad, also honoured the winner with the traditional title of Modibbon Sokoto.

The ceremony to honour the winner was held at the International Conference Center Kasarawa in Sokoto on Sunday. The competition was held last year in Gusau, Zamfara State.

The winner, an undergraduate student of Computer Science, from Sokoto State, was the first indigene of the state to win the annual competition since its inception in 1986.

The state government also awarded Mr Abdullahi an appointment in the Sokoto Civil Service, a graduate scholarship covering Master's and PhD studies and four Hajj seats, the media aide to the governor, Muhammad Bello, said.

The governor also awarded Zainab Mahmoud, who won the female competition, a N3 million cash prize and a hajj seat.

The Sultan of Sokoto donated N500,000 cash on behalf of the Sultanate Council, to Ms Mahmoud.

Previous winners

Kano State has won the coveted title 12 times, first, during its second edition in 1987, won by the late Jafar Mahmud-Adam, LEADERSHIP Newspaper reported.

The late Mr Mahmud-Adam rose to become a prominent scholar in Northern Nigeria and Hausa-speaking countries of West Africa.

Mr Mahmud-Adam was shot and killed in 2007 by unknown persons while leading morning congregational prayers in his Dorayi mosque in the Kano metropolis.

With six wins, Plateau State is the next state with the highest laurel after Kano. Bauchi and Zamfara states have won the title three times each while Borno and Kaduna states have won it twice each.

"Kebbi, Adamawa, Kwara, Kogi, Katsina, Gombe and Yobe States have won the competition once each. The competition was not held in 1997 and was merged in 1998/1999, 2003/2004, 2007/2008 and 2021/2022."