NCAOOSCE Defends Non-Educational Projects in 2026 Federal Budget

The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education clarified on July 7, 2026, that various infrastructure and road projects appearing in its 2026 Appropriation Act are National Assembly constituency projects. The agency issued the statement following public scrutiny over the inclusion of items that fall outside its statutory mandate to reform the Almajiri education system and reduce the number of out-of-school children.

The commission explained that routing constituency projects through various ministries, departments, and agencies is a long-standing federal budgetary practice in Nigeria. It asserted that while these projects were inserted into the budget by the National Assembly and assigned to the agency for execution, this does not alter its core mandate. The agency pledged to implement all assigned projects in strict compliance with procurement laws and financial regulations.

Despite the controversy, the commission highlighted its ongoing educational efforts, including the establishment of 119 learning centres nationwide and the profiling of more than 700,000 out-of-school children. These initiatives are part of the broader implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri.