The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has defended the inclusion of projects unrelated to its statutory responsibilities in the 2026 budget, insisting they are National Assembly constituency projects assigned to the commission for implementation.
The clarification comes amid growing public scrutiny over reports that the commission’s budget contains projects considered unrelated to Almajiri and out-of-school children’s education.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Executive Secretary, Nura Muhammad, the commission said the projects were captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act in line with the established practice of assigning constituency projects to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution.
According to the commission, the projects became part of its implementation responsibilities once they were approved in the federal budget.
“As part of a duly enacted federal budget, every project assigned to the commission forms part of its implementation responsibilities and will be executed in strict compliance with extant laws, financial regulations and due procurement processes,” the statement said.
NCAOOSCE maintained that the inclusion of such projects does not alter its core mandate, stressing that it remains committed to reforming the Almajiri education system and addressing Nigeria’s growing out-of-school children crisis.
The commission highlighted several achievements to demonstrate its focus, including the profiling of more than 700,000 out-of-school children nationwide, the establishment of 119 learning centres, ward-to-ward advocacy campaigns and community mobilisation efforts, as well as ongoing implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri Education.
“Addressing the plight of Almajiri and out-of-school children remains our foremost priority,” the commission stated.
It added that it would continue collaborating with the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and other stakeholders to improve access to quality education for vulnerable children across the country.
