Almajiri Commission Says National Assembly Inserted Constituency Projects into 2026 Budget

The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has clarified that several projects in its 2026 budget that appear unrelated to its statutory mandate were constituency projects inserted by the National Assembly and assigned to the commission for implementation.

The clarification followed public scrutiny over the commission’s 2026 Appropriation Act, which includes ₦8.4 billion for road construction and other projects outside its core responsibility of addressing the challenge of Almajiri and out-of-school children.

In a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Nura Muhammad, the commission explained that the projects formed part of the constituency projects allocated to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through the annual appropriation process.

According to the commission, the assignment of constituency projects to MDAs is a long-established budgetary practice and all projects allocated to the agency would be executed in accordance with existing laws, financial regulations and due procurement procedures.

The commission stressed that the inclusion of the projects does not alter its statutory mandate, which remains focused on reducing the number of out-of-school children by integrating formal education, Qur’anic education and skills acquisition.

The 2026 Appropriation Act allocated ₦22.82 billion to the commission, comprising ₦21.68 billion for capital expenditure and ₦1.14 billion for recurrent expenditure.

Apart from road construction, the budget also contains provisions for the procurement of ambulances, medical equipment and the installation of solar power facilities—projects that had raised questions about their relevance to the commission’s mandate.

Muhammad maintained that while the commission is responsible for implementing the projects assigned to it under the Appropriation Act, its primary focus remains the reform of the Almajiri education system and tackling the growing out-of-school children crisis across the country.

He disclosed that the commission has so far identified and profiled more than 700,000 out-of-school children nationwide and established 119 learning centres to support their education and reintegration.

According to him, the agency has also sustained ward-to-ward advocacy, community mobilisation and implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri Education as part of efforts to address illiteracy and improve educational access for vulnerable children.

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to quality education, supporting state governments and other stakeholders, and implementing programmes that improve the welfare of Almajiri and out-of-school children.

It also expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and other stakeholders for their continued support in advancing the commission’s mandate.

The clarification comes amid growing public attention on constituency projects embedded in the federal budget and renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in the appropriation process.