Ganduje Foundation Opens 25th Qur’anic Competition, Calls for Peace Through Islamic Values

By Umar Idris Shuaibu, Kano

The Ganduje Foundation has commenced its 25th Inter-Local Government Qur’anic Recitation Competition (Musabaqa) in Kano, with stakeholders describing Qur’anic education as a vital instrument for promoting peace, moral discipline and national development.

The annual competition, which brought together contestants from the 44 local government areas of Kano State, is aimed at encouraging excellence in Qur’anic recitation, nurturing Islamic values among young Muslims and strengthening unity and peaceful coexistence.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Secretary of Musabaqa Committee and former Permanent Secretary in Kano, Alhaji Ahmad Tijjani Abdullahi, said many of Nigeria’s security challenges, social unrest and declining moral values could be addressed through adherence to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.

According to him, Qur’anic recitation competitions provide young people with sound moral upbringing and encourage discipline, tolerance and respect for the sanctity of human life.

“If our communities continue to encourage Qur’anic recitation competitions (Musabaqa), they will strengthen peace, cooperation and mutual understanding among the people,” he said.

Abdullahi noted that the Holy Qur’an teaches believers not to kill, harm innocent people or engage in actions capable of disrupting the peace of society.

“The Qur’an teaches us not to kill, not to harm others and not to destabilise peaceful communities. Anyone who genuinely understands and lives by these teachings should not engage in violence or other undesirable acts,” he stated.

Tijjani Abdullahi who is also a former Executive Secretary of the Kano State Science and Technical Schools Board further stressed the need to raise children on sound Islamic values, saying such upbringing would help mould responsible citizens and reduce the tendency toward crime and other social vices.

He urged Nigerian youths to embrace peaceful coexistence, shun all forms of negative behaviour and become ambassadors of peace within their communities.

Earlier, Chairman of the Musabaqa Committee of the Ganduje Foundation, Malam Rabi’u Musa Garko, commended the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairperson of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for sustaining the Foundation’s vision of promoting Islamic education alongside humanitarian and community development initiatives.

According to him, the Foundation has continued to make significant contributions to healthcare, education, religious development and humanitarian support across Kano State and other parts of Nigeria.

He explained that the Foundation has provided free eye care services to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries through the distribution of medications, prescription glasses and thousands of free eye surgeries conducted across the 44 local government areas of Kano State.

Garko added that the Foundation has also invested in the construction, renovation and equipping of Juma’at Mosques, Islamiyya schools and women’s centres, while consistently sponsoring Qur’anic recitation competitions to encourage Islamic scholarship and moral excellence.

He further noted that the Foundation supports orphans, persons living with disabilities and other vulnerable members of society through the distribution of welfare materials and food items, particularly during religious festivals.

According to him, the Foundation also undertakes community development projects, including the provision of boreholes, agricultural empowerment programmes and grassroots socio-religious initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of communities.

Garko offered prayers for Dr. Ganduje and his family, expressing appreciation for their sustained commitment to initiatives that continue to transform lives and promote Islamic values across Nigeria.

The competition will feature contestants competing in various categories of Qur’anic memorisation and recitation, with organisers expressing optimism that the annual event will continue to nurture future generations committed to Islamic scholarship, exemplary character and national development.

The closing ceremony is expected to attract prominent Islamic scholars, traditional rulers, senior government officials and other distinguished guests, where outstanding participants will receive prizes and awards in recognition of their excellence in Qur’anic recitation. The organisers said the awards are intended to motivate young reciters, encourage wider participation in future editions and further promote the study, memorisation and practical application of the Holy Qur’an as a foundation for moral uprightness, peaceful coexistence and national development.

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