Writing By Umar S Fada; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have urged the Federal Government to retain the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), dismissing calls for its scrapping over alleged duplication of the functions of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
They argue that while WAEC and NECO largely assess candidates under the conventional curriculum, NBAIS was established to serve students within the Tsangaya and Islamiyya education systems.
According to the stakeholders, NBAIS provides a structured examination and certification pathway that combines Arabic and Islamic studies with core subjects required for further education and national development.
They said describing the board’s mandate as a duplication overlooks the distinct educational needs it was created to address and its role in integrating Islamic education into the national system.
The stakeholders noted that NBAIS candidates can sit mainstream subjects such as Mathematics, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Government, Economics and Literature in English, alongside Arabic and Islamic studies.
They said this gives students in the Islamic education system access to disciplines needed for careers in medicine, engineering, law, education and public service.
The stakeholders further said NBAIS had helped regulate and standardise the previously fragmented system through common schemes of work, examiner training, moderation of examination questions and the maintenance of candidate records.
They, however, called for stronger collaboration among NBAIS, WAEC and NECO through harmonised examination calendars, data sharing, grading standards and quality assurance, rather than abolishing any of the bodies.
The stakeholders warned that scrapping NBAIS could create uncertainty for students, parents and teachers in the Tsangaya and Islamiyya systems, especially as efforts intensify to integrate alternative learning pathways into formal education.
They therefore urged the Federal Government to strengthen NBAIS through adequate funding, improved regulation, institutional reforms and collaboration with other examination bodies, stressing that reform and coordination would better serve Nigeria’s diverse educational needs than abolition.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
