NBAIS Confirms 2,000 Staff, Denies Overstaffing Claims

The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) has stated that it employs 2,000 staff members, countering claims of being overstaffed. In response to a report by Daily Trust regarding its budget of N18.049 billion for personnel from a total of N26.47 billion for 2026, Abdulsalam Ramalan, Head of Information and Protocol Unit, clarified that these staff members are assigned to over 1,000 integrated schools to ensure quality assurance in curriculum implementation.

The budget breakdown indicates that N15,414,097,516 is earmarked for salaries, while N2,635,755,653 is allocated for allowances and social contributions. NBAIS highlighted its primary mandates, which include conducting the Senior Arabic and Islamic Secondary School Certificate Examination and regulating the teaching of Arabic and Islamic Studies.

The board noted that prior to the establishment of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children (NCAOSCE), it monitored Qur’anic Tsangaya schools, but staff redeployment to NCAOSCE has been approved by the government, reinforcing that it is not overstaffed.