Nigerian Qur’an memoriser wins big at global contest in Saudi Arabia
A young Nigerian Qur’an memoriser, Sanusi Bukhari Idris, has brought pride to the country after finishing third at the 45th King Abdulaziz International Holy Qur’an Competition held at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
The Kano-born scholar secured the second runner-up position in the contest’s highest category — full Qur’an memorisation with accurate recitation and intonation — earning a prize of 400,000 Saudi riyals (approximately ₦163 million).
This year’s competition drew 179 participants from 128 countries, who competed across five categories for a total prize pool of SAR 4 million. The event featured a panel of international judges supported by an advanced electronic scoring system to ensure fairness and precision.
A contestant from Chad, Mohammad Adam Mohammad, emerged overall winner in the top category with a prize of 500,000 Saudi riyals, while Saudi Arabia’s Anas Majid Abdullah al-Hazmi came second, taking home 450,000 Saudi riyals.
The prize-giving ceremony was attended by senior clerics of Masjid al-Haram and the Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, who commended the contestants for their dedication.
Sanusi’s achievement follows his victory at the 39th National Qur’anic Competition in Sokoto State in December 2024, which earned him the ticket to represent Nigeria on the global stage.
Other branches of the competition included memorisation of the entire Qur’an with interpretation, memorisation with tajweed rules, and partial memorisation of 15 and 5 juz with correct recitation.
Sanusi’s success has been hailed by stakeholders in Nigeria’s Qur’anic education community as a testament to the country’s long-standing reputation for producing world-class Qur’an memorizers.
