The Franco-Arab African Council for Scientific Promotion, in collaboration with the Franco-Arab University in Istanbul, Turkey, has conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Katsina-based philanthropist, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda.
The award was presented during the 2025 Scientific Conference titled “Islamic Studies and Cognitive Integration in Contemporary Contexts,” held from 23rd to 25th October 2025.
Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda was honoured alongside eleven other distinguished personalities drawn from fourteen member countries of the council.
According to the organisers, the awardees were selected based on their outstanding contributions as senior sheikhs, preachers, scholars, and public figures who have excelled in promoting Arab-Islamic education, peace, security, and social cohesion.
Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda was recognised for her extensive philanthropic and Islamic propagation activities through her foundation, Mu’assasatul Khairiyya.
The foundation has made notable impact through feeding programmes for the needy and vulnerable, support for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the construction of Islamiyya schools and mosques. It also provides mats, kettles, and copies of the Holy Qur’an to schools and worship centres.
In collaboration with the Hisbah Board, Mu’assasatul Khairiyya has also been involved in counselling and rehabilitating women previously engaged in prostitution, reuniting them with their families, and providing them with startup materials to begin small-scale businesses.
Additionally, the foundation conducts medical outreach programmes and provides daily meals for orphans, widows, and the less privileged.
Presenting the award, the President of the Franco-Arab African Council for Scientific Promotion, Professor Mohammed Abdul Jara, congratulated Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda for her exemplary humanitarian services and dedication to Islamic propagation.
He explained that the council and the university conducted a rigorous screening process before selecting the twelve awardees, including Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda.
By this recognition, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda—widow of the late former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and elder sister to the current Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda—has attained international recognition for her contributions to social development and humanitarian service.
The honour is seen as a pride not only to Katsina State but also to Nigeria as a whole, as Mu’assasatul Khairiyya continues to gain recognition locally and internationally.
Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda attended the ceremony in the company of her son, Musa Umar Yar’Adua, and daughter, Jamila Tukur Ajiya.
