Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has applauded a Nigerian Scholar and multi-lingual expert, Dr Ahmad Rufa’i for winning an international Arabic poetry competition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dabiri-Erewa gave the commendation in a statement by NIDCOM’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun. She described Rufa’i’s defeat of other contestants, especially from Arabic-speaking countries as legendary.

“With your winning this all important competition over other contestants in an Arab speaking country, is a thing of joy and pride to us in Nigeria.

“I congratulate you on this wonderful feat, for bringing honour and glory, not only to your family, but to Nigeria as a whole. I say to you. Baraka lahu feeh, Mabruk.

“I only hope and pray that your winning this competition has gone a long way in rewriting the negative narrative tag on Nigerians living in Saudi Arabia.

“I have no doubt in my mind that your excellent performance during the competition is a shining testimony that Nigerians always excel in whatever they do and it serves as inspiration to the youth of Nigeria,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

She noted with satisfaction that the duo of  Rufa’i, and Anthony Joshua, who recently reclaimed his world heavyweight titles of IBF, WBO, and WBF also in Saudi Arabia, “have brought joy and glory to Nigeria in December”.

The Arabic poetry competition was organised by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) as part of activities to mark the World Arabic Language Day.

The United Nations had set aside Dec. 18 every year as the World Arabic Language Day to create awareness for one of its official languages.

Rufa’i, whose classical poetry was adjudged the best among that of seven other finalists, was presented with the first prize by President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr Bandar Hajjar.

Two other African nationals – a Mauritanian, and a Sudanese, clinched the second and third positions respectively.

Other finalists who emerged from a rigorous selection process across multiple stages, included a Saudi national, a Yemeni, an Egyptian, two Sudanese, and one Mauritanian.

The competition was supervised by a committee of experts set up by IsDB

and which was headed by Prof. Ahmad Masluh, a renowned scholar of Arabic

Language and Prosody.

A prodigious scholar and education consultant, Rufa’i had for many years

been a TV presenter and regular commentator on public affairs with special

interest in international conflict resolution and education pedagogy.