By Godswill Michael
The Federal Government has allocated ₦8.4 billion for road construction and rehabilitation projects in the 2026 budget of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), despite the commission’s statutory mandate being focused on expanding access to education for Almajiri and out-of-school children.
An analysis of the 2026 Appropriation Act shows that the projects were captured under the headquarters budget of the commission, an agency established to reduce out-of-school children, integrate Almajiri education into the formal system, promote vocational training and curb youth destitution and street begging.
The commission, which operates under the Federal Ministry of Education, received a total allocation of ₦29.4 billion in the 2026 budget. Of that amount, ₦8.4 billion—about 29 per cent of its total allocation—was earmarked for road projects across Ogun, Katsina and Ekiti states.
Among the projects is ₦1.4 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of Obasanjo Itele Road, Nazareth Road Oke Ola, Imeko, Idogo Township Road and the Odedeyo-Mewuro Road corridor in Ogun State.
Another ₦1.4 billion was allocated for the rehabilitation and construction of Eyinni High School–Lusada Junction Road, Ibooro, Idiya Central Community Road, Rounda Abeokuta, Ile Ise Community Asuje Road and Soyoye Community Road, also in Ogun State.
The commission further budgeted ₦1.05 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of Pako/Umporan Township Road in Ipokia Ward 2, alongside another ₦1.05 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of RCC Opposite Honda Agbebi Community Road and Ajuwon Baale Road.
Outside Ogun, the budget includes ₦1.05 billion for the construction of inner roads in Danmarke, Katsina State, another ₦1.05 billion for internal roads in Sabon Gari Yargoge and Sharada Burburau in Katsina State, and ₦1.4 billion for the construction of internal roads at Government Science College, Iyin, Ekiti State.
The allocations have drawn attention because they appear to fall outside the commission’s statutory responsibilities.
Established by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education Act, 2023, the commission is mandated to develop a multimodal education system that integrates Qur’anic education with literacy, numeracy and vocational skills for millions of vulnerable children. Its responsibilities include enrolling out-of-school children, formulating policies on Almajiri education, promoting skills acquisition and reducing poverty, youth delinquency and street begging.
The latest findings add to growing scrutiny of off-mandate spending by federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Earlier analysis of Govspend data showed that the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, Enugu State, and the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe State, disbursed a combined ₦25.92 billion within 24 hours on projects that appeared unrelated to their statutory mandates. The same data indicated that ₦2.85 billion of the transactions were flagged as duplicate payments.
According to the records, the Federal Co-operative College alone paid out ₦2.15 billion through eight separate payments of ₦268.47 million each for road and erosion control projects executed in different communities.
The institution also made at least 17 separate payments of ₦29.1 million each, amounting to ₦494.7 million, for constituency projects including agricultural inputs, food items, empowerment materials and school furniture across several states.
In addition, it processed four separate payments of ₦51.9 million each for solar streetlight projects in Lagos, Kaduna, Rivers and Anambra states, bringing the total value of those projects to ₦207.6 million.
Records further showed that the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, disbursed ₦845.8 million in a single day to three companies for projects not clearly connected to its mandate of horticultural education and research.
The trend has intensified concerns among public finance observers over the growing use of federal agencies to execute constituency and infrastructure projects that appear unrelated to their core statutory functions.
Recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, directed agencies under his ministry to refrain from undertaking projects outside their legal mandates.
“All programmes and initiatives of the ministry shall be aligned with the administration’s priorities of food security, economic growth, job creation, poverty eradication and inclusivity,” the minister said.
He added that agencies should focus strictly on their statutory responsibilities and avoid implementing projects unrelated to their core mandates.