Maryam Yusuf and Abdurrahman Yusuf were among the young Nigerian competitors who helped Team Nigeria win a historic Gold Award at the World Spelling Bee Championship in China, as reported in July 2026.
Maryam Yusuf, a 14-year-old student from Ar Raheem International College, Ilorin, Kwara State who wears the niqab, previously qualified through the African Spelling Bee Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Al-Azhar University (Cairo, Egypt)
**Muhammadul-Awwal Babatunde, a 27-year-old Nigerian alumnus of Darul-Kitab Wa Sunnah College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Ilorin, emerged as the overall best graduating student at Al-Azhar University, topping both Egyptian and foreign students across more than 40 countries.
