NBAIS Earmarks ₦18.05bn for Staff, ₦2.5bn for Roads and Streetlights in 2026 Budget

The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) received a ₦26.47 billion allocation in the 2026 budget, with ₦18.05 billion, or 68 percent, earmarked for personnel costs. The figure includes ₦15.41 billion for salaries and ₦2.64 billion for allowances and staff-related contributions. The board also budgeted more than ₦2.5 billion for projects including roads, solar-powered streetlights, food distribution, empowerment grants and youth training in Kano, Katsina, Kogi and Zamfara. Solar streetlight projects in several Kano LGAs account for over ₦1.5 billion of the capital allocation. Fiscal transparency advocates questioned the agency’s staffing level and the inclusion of projects outside its examination and education mandate. They compared its personnel budget with those of NECO, JAMB, NUC and other education agencies, while sources within the board said it has about 6,000 staff members. NBAIS had not provided an official response as of the time of the report.

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