The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies has allocated N18.049 billion, or 68 per cent of its N26.4 billion 2026 budget, to staff costs, while earmarking over N2.5 billion for roads, solar streetlights and other projects across Kano, Katsina, Kogi and Zamfara States.
The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) has planned to spend N18.049 billion on its staff.
According to Daily Trust,the agency, an examination body tasked with standardising and certifying studies in Arabic and Islamic education across Nigeria, was allocated N26,472,086,954 in the 2026 budget, meaning it will spend 68 per cent of its budget on staff alone.
A breakdown shows N15,414,097,516 will go to salaries, and N2,635,755,653 to allowances and social contributions. Of the social contributions, N770,151,190 covers the National Health Insurance Scheme, N1,540,302,379 goes to staff pension contributions, and N178,711,418 to the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
The remaining 32 per cent will see N318,023,420 spent on overhead costs and N8,104,210,365 on capital expenditure.
The board also earmarked over N2.5 billion for road construction, solar streetlights, food distribution and social media training, with projects concentrated in Kano, Katsina, Kogi and Zamfara States.
Allocations include N210 million for the Dantata Road–Saint Louis Road in Kano, N70 million for a road in Ugwolawo, Kogi State, N84 million for factory completion in Kogi East, and N70 million for an NSCDC outpost in Kano.
In Zamfara, N28 million was set aside for rice distribution, while N70 million was earmarked for empowerment materials in Kano. The largest off-mandate allocation, exceeding N1.5 billion, covers solar streetlight installations across multiple Kano LGAs, including N175 million each for Fagge, Dala and Nasarawa, and N140 million each for several others.
The board also allocated N75.6 million for youth social media training and N49 million for entrepreneurship training in Katsina State.
Efforts to get a reaction from the commission were unsuccessful, as top officials were unavailable during a correspondent’s visit to its headquarters. The Head of Information, Abdul Salam Ramalan, later promised a response after consulting with his principal, but the commission had yet to reply as of filing time.
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