A Nigerian Islamic scholar, Dr Dauda Awwal, has launched what he describes as the world’s first comprehensive Yoruba-English Qur’an translation, an initiative aimed at making the Islamic holy book more accessible to Yoruba-speaking communities around the world.
The disclosure was made in a statement on Thursday to The PUNCH.
The project, called the Global English-Yoruba Qur’an 4-in-1, features the original Arabic text, full transliteration for proper pronunciation, Yoruba translation with high linguistic accuracy, and English translation enriched with commentary, Hadith references, biblical comparisons, and scientific insights.
“This is the first time in history that all these elements are coming together in a single Qur’an.
“For over a century, Yoruba-speaking Muslims have lacked a complete, authentic Qur’anic reference in their language. This project will bridge that gap,” said Awwal, a graduate of Muhammad Ibn Saud University in Riyadh.
Awwal also announced the launch of “My First 13 Surahs for Children,” a colourful, interactive edition designed for children aged five to ten. It includes Arabic, Yoruba, and English translations of 13 short chapters, with illustrations, worksheets, mobile app integration, and audio-visual recitations to support early Islamic education.
The scholar plans to print and freely distribute five million copies of the children’s edition across four continents: two million in Africa, and one million each in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Digital formats will also be made available through mobile apps and e-books.
“We’re inviting global sponsors, Islamic organisations, and philanthropists to partner with us in this historic project,” Awwal stated. “This is not just a book. It is a cultural legacy and a tool for interfaith understanding.”
Awwal, who has authored over 50 Islamic publications, has received international recognition for his work, including a commendation from the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Qur’an project was previously presented to the Nigerian High Commission in London and Nigerian communities in the UK.
He also extended a call to leaders such as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to support the global rollout of the initiative.

It is not just Celtic fans who will be willing them on in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final with St Johnstone. Those who support Hibernian, Dundee United, St Mirren - and maybe even the more pessimistic Aberdeen fans - will also be hoping Brendan Rodgers holders win for one simple reason... A final between Celtic and Aberdeen - regardless of the outcome - will mean the top five finishers in the Scottish Premiership will be guaranteed Europe next season. The Scottish Cup winners earn a spot in the Europa League play-off round, with the team that finishes third in the Premiership going into the second qualifying round. Whoever is fourth, will be in the equivalent stage of the Conference League. However, if Celtic win the cup, everything shuffles down because they have already clinched a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Rangers will too. That means the Europa play-off place - and the guaranteed six-game Conference League campaign that comes with it - goes to whoever finishes third in the league. Currently, that's Hibs. But United and Aberdeen and St Mirren - albeit the arithmetic is hugely against them - are still in the mix. But even the clubs who miss out on third could still be rewarded. Fourth place would be upgraded from Conference League to Europa League, with that Conference spot going to whoever finishes fifth. St Johnstone, of course, could scupper all this with a second victory over Celtic inside a month. Should they do so, then either they or Aberdeen could look forward to at least six lucrative games in the Conference League come the autumn.

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has invested N565.7 bn in the first half of 2025 to accelerate the expansion of its network infrastructure, marking a 288.4 per cent increase in capital expenditure compared to the same period last year. The country’s biggest telecom firm disclosed this in its half-year financial results released on Thursday, explaining that the funds were channelled towards rolling out additional 4G sites, extending fibre-to-the-home services, and developing a new data centre. Subscribers anticipate better service quality following a 50 per cent tariff increase approved by the Nigeria Communications Commission earlier this year. Operators are starting to demonstrate commitment to these improvements, supported by the recent arrival of $1bn worth of telecom equipment. MTN said the surge in capex, excluding lease payments, was necessary to meet growing data traffic and improve service quality for its over 84 million subscribers. “The accelerated capex in H1 was deployed to support growth in data traffic as well as enhance service quality and user experience,” the telco stated in the document. A breakdown of the investments shows that MTN deployed 240 new 4G sites, expanded its fiber-to-home network, and began work on a new data centre to meet increasing digital demand. The company said these upgrades were vital to reduce congestion and improve coverage across its footprint. When lease-related items, such as tower rental agreements, are included, total capex rose by 208.2 per cent, which the company attributed to the increase in right-of-use assets following the extension of tower lease contracts with IHS Towers, its infrastructure partner. Despite the scale of investment, MTN said it maintained a strong financial footing, reporting a free cash flow of N409.8bn and a post-tax profit of N414.9bn, compared to a loss of N519.1 bn in the same period last year. Capex intensity, which measures the proportion of revenue spent on capital projects, stood at 23.8 per cent, indicating the company’s front-loaded spending strategy for 2025. The operator said it expects this intensity to moderate in the second half of the year. The company added that the investments are crucial to expanding coverage and improving user experience, particularly as demand for data and digital services continues to rise. MTN Nigeria also confirmed that about 74 per cent of its total debt is now denominated in naira, reducing its exposure to foreign currency risk. It noted that its liquidity remains strong with a cash balance of N257.6bn. GCR Ratings recently affirmed the company’s national scale long- and short-term issuer ratings at AAA and A1+, respectively, while upgrading the outlook from negative to stable, citing MTN’s return to profitability, improved cash flow, and sustained revenue growth.

Managing Director of Precise Financial Systems, Yele Okeremi, has called on the Federal Government to play a leading role in positioning Nigeria’s fintech sector for global leadership. Speaking on the C-Suite Café podcast hosted by journalist and brand strategist Mr. Ikem Okuhu, Okeremi said Nigeria’s fintech industry has the potential to compete globally but would struggle to do so without active government support and strategic policy interventions. He cited the example of China’s UnionPay, which rose to become a global card payment giant through deliberate government backing. “UnionPay started as China UnionPay. Today, its cards are accepted all over the world. It didn’t happen by magic; it was a result of a deliberate government strategy,” he said in a statement on Thursday. Okeremi sought to know why Verve, a homegrown Nigerian card scheme, has failed to achieve similar global status despite its capabilities. “The people behind Verve had sellable technology but could not withstand the headwinds of global competition. For local payments, we are issuing Mastercard and Visa when we have Verve. Who does that?” he queried. The fintech pioneer argued that the country’s market size and natural resources give it all it needs to create globally competitive financial technologies. However, he said the private sector alone cannot bear the burden of scaling these innovations. “Until the government provides the needed support and policy leverage, the private sector will achieve only limited success. Without sovereign backing, you can’t fly,” he noted. Okeremi also expressed concern over the dominance of foreign ownership in fintech startups often celebrated as Nigerian unicorns. He referenced his role as one of the founding figures behind Interswitch, explaining that firms like it had to partner with foreign entities due to an unfavourable environment for scale. “I don’t blame those who sold out to foreign interests. But should we continue on this trajectory? It reflects people going nowhere,” he said. He urged the government to identify promising local fintech players and actively promote them on the global stage, using storytelling and strategic partnerships to create international trust and adoption. The veteran also called for a leadership system that entrusts key political and economic roles to individuals with proven records of wealth creation and innovation.  “The real meaning of wealth is not cash, but the capacity to create from nothing,” he stated.