Mahdi Shehu Questions ₦8.4bn Road Projects In Almajiri Commission Budget

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has questioned the inclusion of ₦8.4 billion for road projects in the 2026 budget of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education.

The criticism centres on whether an agency created to address Almajiri education and out-of-school children should be funding road construction and other projects outside its core education mandate.

Daily Post reported that Shehu raised the concern on Monday, saying the allocation covered road projects in Ekiti, Ogun and Katsina states.

Daily Trust, citing details of the 2026 Appropriations Act, reported that the commission has a ₦22.82 billion budget made up of ₦21.68 billion in capital expenditure and ₦1.14 billion in recurrent expenditure.

The same report said the agency also budgeted for ambulances, medical equipment and solar power facilities.

The commission was established by an Act of Parliament on May 27, 2023, under the Federal Ministry of Education. Its mandate includes reducing illiteracy and tackling the problem of out-of-school children through formal education, Qur’anic education and skills training.

Shehu argued that road construction does not fit that mandate and alleged that the allocations were inserted by politicians.

The reports did not include a response from the commission to the criticism as of publication time.

Sources: Daily Post, Daily Trust