The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has explained that projects in its 2026 budget which appear unrelated to its statutory responsibilities were constituency projects assigned to the commission by the National Assembly.
The clarification was made in a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Executive Secretary of the commission, Nura Muhammad, following public criticism over the inclusion of road construction and other infrastructure projects in the agency’s budget.
The explanation came after details of the 2026 Appropriation Act revealed that the commission allocated about ₦8.4 billion for road construction despite its primary responsibility of reducing the number of out-of-school children and improving Almajiri education through formal learning, Qur’anic education and skills development.
According to the budget, the commission received a total allocation of ₦22.82 billion, comprising ₦21.68 billion for capital projects and ₦1.14 billion for recurrent expenditure.
The budget also includes projects such as the procurement of ambulances, acquisition of medical equipment and installation of solar power facilities.
Muhammad said the projects were included under the long-established budgetary arrangement that allows constituency projects approved by the National Assembly to be implemented through Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He explained that since the projects formed part of the approved federal budget, the commission is responsible for executing them in accordance with existing laws, financial regulations and public procurement procedures.
The commission stressed that the assigned projects do not change its legal mandate, which remains focused on addressing the challenge of out-of-school children, reforming the Almajiri education system and expanding access to quality education across Nigeria.
Muhammad added that the agency has already identified and profiled more than 700,000 out-of-school children nationwide while establishing 119 learning centres to support their education.
He also noted that the commission continues to carry out community mobilisation and ward-level advocacy as part of efforts to implement the National Policy on Almajiri and improve educational opportunities for vulnerable children.
The commission further acknowledged the support of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and other stakeholders in advancing its programmes.
