The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has explained that the road and other infrastructure projects listed in its 2026 Appropriation Act are constituency projects given to the agency by the National Assembly to carry out.
The explanation follows growing public attention on the 2026 budget after reports showed that several federal agencies received projects seen as outside their legal duties, including road projects added to the budgets of education-related agencies.
In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Nura Muhammad, the Commission said, “the project was not its core mandate but inserted into the federal budget by the National Assembly and assigned to the Commission for implementation”.
The Commission said the development came as several federal agencies faced questions over projects included in the 2026 budget that fall outside their statutory responsibilities.
It explained that constituency projects are regularly assigned to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through the Appropriation Act for execution. It added that every project under its budget would be carried out in line with existing laws, financial regulations and procurement procedures.
The Commission also said its legal mandate has not changed. It stressed that it was created to coordinate national efforts to reform the Almajiri education system and tackle the problem of out-of-school children across the country.
It added that it remains committed to improving access to quality education, strengthening Almajiri education and supporting states and other stakeholders in addressing the out-of-school children crisis.
NCAOOSCE also maintained that improving the lives of Almajiri and out-of-school children remains its top priority. It pledged to continue carrying out its mandate with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders.
