The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education has come under scrutiny after earmarking N8.4 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for road construction projects, a responsibility critics say falls outside its statutory mandate.
An analysis of the approved budget showed that the commission, established to tackle Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, allocated billions of naira to the construction and rehabilitation of roads in Ogun, Katsina and Ekiti states, alongside other projects including ambulances, dental equipment and solar street lights.
The development has sparked concerns among transparency advocates and budget experts, who warned that the practice reflects growing distortions in Nigeria’s budgeting process and could weaken accountability in public institutions.
The commission received a total allocation of N22.82 billion in the 2026 budget, with N21.68 billion designated for capital expenditure and N1.14 billion for recurrent costs.
However, rather than concentrating spending on educational interventions, several capital projects captured in the budget relate to road infrastructure and healthcare facilities.
A review of the budget revealed that the commission budgeted N1.4 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of Eyinni High School–Lusada Junction Road, Ibooro; Idiya Central Community Road, Abeokuta; Ile Ise Community Asuje Road; and Soyoye Community Road in Ogun State.
Another N1.05 billion was allocated for the rehabilitation of the Pakoiji-Iporan Township Road in Ipokia Ward 2, while a similar amount was earmarked for the construction of RCC Opposite Honda Agbebi Community Road and Ajuwon Baale Road.
The commission further voted N1.4 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of Obasanjo Itele Road, Nazareth Road, Oke Ola, Imeko, Idogo Township Road and Odedeyo-Mewuro Road in Ogun State.
In Katsina State, it allocated N2.1 billion for internal roads in Dan Marke, Sabon Gari Yargoje and Sharada Burburga communities.
It also budgeted N1.4 billion for internal roads within Government Science College, Iyin, Ekiti State, alongside N700 million for ambulances, furniture, dental X-ray machines and dental chairs for a dental centre in the community.
Another N700 million was earmarked for the installation of solar street lights in communities within Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, while an additional N700 million was allocated for women and youth empowerment tools in the same area.
The commission was created through an Act of Parliament on May 27, 2023, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education to address the challenge of Almajiri and out-of-school children across Nigeria.
Its statutory responsibilities include coordinating Almajiri education programmes, supporting states in integrating formal and Qur’anic education, providing learning materials, teacher training, school feeding programmes, scholarships and enforcing child protection measures.
Neither road construction nor healthcare infrastructure forms part of its legally assigned functions.
Under existing laws, road construction and maintenance are primarily the responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, while medical infrastructure falls within the jurisdiction of health institutions.
When contacted, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Dr Muhammad Sani Idris, said he could not immediately comment on the budget allocations.
“Today is Sunday, but if you can give me some time, I will reach out to my budget office to obtain the full details. I would appreciate it if we could discuss this during the week so I can provide the comprehensive information you requested,” he said.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Budget Office of the Federation were unsuccessful, as its Head of Media and Public Relations, Afolabi Olajuwon, neither responded to telephone calls nor replied to text messages.
However, a senior official at the Budget Office, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the agency merely collates budget submissions from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to the source, projects outside an agency’s statutory mandate are frequently introduced during budget consideration at the National Assembly, often as constituency projects.
“They call it constituency projects and since the government can’t fund them directly through the National Assembly, they use agencies as proxies. If an agency resists, its budget approval could be delayed or frustrated,” the source said.
A member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who also declined to be named, described the practice as longstanding, saying lawmakers often nominate federal agencies to execute constituency projects regardless of their statutory responsibilities.
The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, condemned the allocations, describing them as evidence of “mandate distortion” in public finance management.
He warned that assigning road construction projects to an education-focused commission undermines institutional efficiency, weakens accountability and diverts scarce resources from addressing Nigeria’s education crisis.
According to him, agencies established for specific purposes should not be saddled with responsibilities outside their legal mandates.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Dr Umar Yakubu, said the commission should prioritise interventions aimed at reducing Nigeria’s estimated 20 million out-of-school children instead of executing road projects.
He argued that allocating infrastructure projects unrelated to education raises concerns over transparency and accountability, adding that expensive road contracts often create opportunities for financial abuse.
Also reacting, Chairman of the Gombe Network of Civil Society Organisations, Ibrahim Yusuf, described the budgetary provisions as another example of misplaced priorities and called for a comprehensive review of the allocations.
He urged the Executive, the National Assembly and oversight institutions to investigate what he called distortions in the national budget and ensure that public funds are spent strictly in line with the legal mandates of government agencies.
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