Almajiri Commission Dissociates From Controversial Projects In 2026 Budget
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) says controversial projects contained in its 2026 Appropriation Act were not initiated by the agency.
Special Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the Commission on Media and Communications, Nura Muhammad disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Muhammad clarified that the said projects were National Assembly constituency projects incorporated into the 2026 Appropriation Act for implementation through the Commission.
This, he noted was in line with the long-standing budgetary practice under which constituency projects were assigned to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution through the Appropriation Act.
“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 Commission, however, wishes to reassure Nigerians that its statutory mandate remains unchanged. Established to coordinate national efforts towards reforming the Almajiri system of education and addressing the challenge of out-of-school children, NCAOOSCE remains firmly committed to expanding access to quality education, strengthening Almajiri education, supporting states and other critical stakeholders, and implementing programmes that directly improve the lives and future of millions of vulnerable children across the country”, he said.
The Commission assured the public that it will continue to pursue its core mandate with renewed vigour:
“This commitment is already evident in the successful identification and profiling of over 700,000 out-of-school children across the country, the establishment of 119 learning centres nationwide, sustained ward-to-ward advocacy and community mobilisation, as well as ongoing efforts to ensure the full implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri aimed at reforming the system and eliminating the social vices associated with it”, he said.
The Commission therefore reiterated that addressing the plight of Almajiri and out-of-school children remains its foremost priority.
