Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has clarified that projects in its 2026 budget which fall outside its statutory mandate are National Assembly constituency projects assigned for implementation.
In a press statement on Monday, the commission said the projects were incorporated into the 2026 Appropriation Act in line with “long-standing budgetary practice” where constituency projects are assigned to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution.
Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Executive Secretary, Nura Muhammad, noted that: “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 follows public scrutiny over reports that the commission’s 2026 budget contained projects unrelated to Almajiri and out-of-school children’s education.
NCAOOSCE stressed that its statutory mandate remains unchanged as the commission was established to coordinate national efforts to reform the Almajiri system of education and tackle the out-of-school children challenge.
To underscore its focus, the commission cited recent milestones including profiling over 700,000 out-of-school children nationwide, establishing 119 learning centres, conducting ward-to-ward advocacy and community mobilisation, and working to fully implement the National Policy on Almajiri.
“Addressing the plight of Almajiri and out-of-school children remains our foremost priority,” the statement read.
The commission noted that it will continue to work with the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad and other stakeholders to expand access to quality education for vulnerable children.
