Almajiri commission clarifies controversial N8.4bn budget for roads in South West 

The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education says it did not conceive the controversial projects  itemised in its budget to be constructed in the South West.

Details of the 2026 Appropriations Act showed that the commission was allocated N22.82 billion, comprising N21.68 billion for capital expenditure and N1.14 billion for recurrent expenditure.

Media reports uncovered the N8.4 billion in the commission’s 2026 budget for projects in South West Nigeria, which is outside its statutory mandate.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Nura Muhammad, special assistant on media and communications to the executive secretary of the commission, said the projects formed part of constituency interventions captured in the Appropriation Act and allocated to it in line with existing budgetary practice.

Muhammad said the projects were conceived by the national assembly as constituency projects assigned to it for implementation.

“The commission wishes to clarify that these projects are national assembly constituency projects incorporated into the 2026 Appropriation Act for implementation through the commission,” Muhammad said.

He noted that assigning constituency projects to ministries, departments and agencies for execution has been a long-standing feature of Nigeria’s federal budgeting process.

Muhammad said the agency is legally obligated to implement any project assigned in its budget in accordance with established financial and procurement regulations.

“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,” he added.

Responding to the controversy, the commission noted that its statutory mandate remains unchanged.

Muhammad said that the agency is committed to coordinating national efforts aimed at reforming the Almajiri education system and addressing the large population of out-of-school children through policies and programmes that expand access to quality education.

He said it remains committed to strengthening Almajiri education, supporting state governments and other stakeholders, and implementing interventions that directly improve the lives of vulnerable children across Nigeria.

Muhammad noted that the commission has successfully identified and profiled more than 700,000 out-of-school children nationwide.

He said the commission had established 119 learning centres across the country, intensified ward-to-ward advocacy and community mobilisation campaigns, and continued efforts to implement the National Policy on Almajiri Education.

“The Commission further reassures the public that it will continue to pursue its core mandate with renewed vigour,” the statement added.