It is the federal examination and regulatory body responsible for curriculum development, standardisation and certification of Arabic and Islamic education in the country.

Established in 1960 to oversee Arabic and Islamic schools in Northern Nigeria, the board received national recognition as an examination body in 2011 and became fully autonomous in 2017.

NBAIS conducts three major examinations annually, including the Senior Arabic and Islamic Secondary School Certificate Examination (SAISSCE) and the Tahfeez Examination for students specialising in Qur’anic memorisation and sciences.

Its certificates are recognised by the Federal Ministry of Education and accepted by many tertiary institutions in Nigeria as equivalent to other national secondary school qualifications.

There has been widespread claims that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly are working to scrap it and sack its staff.