Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru, General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, led a delegation of Christian clerics to Sheikh Usman’s school, where they presented him with an award recognising his contribution to Islamic education and community development.

Pastor Buru said Sheikh Usman had spent more than 50 years teaching the Quran, Hadith, Tafsir, Arabic and other Islamic subjects to children and young people from different parts of northern Nigeria.

He said many of the scholar’s former students had gone on to become Islamic scholars, Arabic teachers and lecturers at schools, centres and institutions across the country.

The delegation said available research indicated that Sheikh Usman had trained more than 10,000 young people, many of whom now work as Arabic teachers, Islamic scholars and lecturers across northern Nigeria.

Pastor Buru said the recognition was intended not only to encourage the scholar to continue his educational work despite his advancing age, but also to strengthen relations between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna State.

Pastor Emmanuel John, who was part of the delegation, described Sheikh Usman’s contribution as remarkable and said the visit aimed to promote mutual respect, peace and understanding between the two faith communities.