By Sa’id Husain Abdullahi
The recent petition by The National Prayer Altar, which demands the Nigerian government abolish the recognition of certificates from the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), is not only misinformed but deeply intolerant. Cloaked under the banner of defending secularism, the petition is a veiled attack on the educational rights of Nigerian Muslims and a call to erase a legitimate federal academic institution that serves millions.
NBAIS: A Federally Recognized Academic Board.
NBAIS is not a religious pulpit. It is a federally established and Ministry of Education–supervised examination board tasked with regulating Arabic and Islamic studies education across Nigeria. NBAIS issues certificates like SAISSCE (Senior Arabic and Islamic Secondary Certificate Examination) and Tahfeez (for students who memorize the Qur’an), while also assessing students in English, Mathematics, Civic Education, Economics, and Biology—just as WAEC and NECO do.
This recognition, long overdue, offers thousands of students—especially in northern Nigeria—a path to further education, civil service, and economic inclusion. To describe NBAIS as “theological asymmetry” is not only ignorant but reveals a refusal to recognize Nigeria’s religious and educational plurality.
The Myth of Nigeria’s Secularism.
The petitioners argue that NBAIS’s recognition violates Nigeria’s “secular” framework. But Nigeria is not secular in the Western sense of total separation of state and religion. Rather, it is a multi-religious state that accommodates the two major religions—Islam and Christianity —along with traditional beliefs.
Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution prohibits the government from adopting a state religion, but it does not prohibit the government from accommodating religious realities in its policies and institutions. Indeed, the government funds Muslim and Christian pilgrimages, supports Sharia courts, and declares religious holidays. The inclusion of NBAIS is simply a continuation of this constitutional pluralism.
Structural Christian Privilege: The Double Standard.
If the concern is truly about religious neutrality in public life, why are long-standing Christian-based privileges not questioned?
1. Public Holidays Rooted in Christianity.
Sunday and Saturday are national rest days, aligned with Christian Sabbath traditions.
January 1st, a public holiday, coincides with the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus in Christian liturgical calendars[^1].
2. Neglect of Muslim Worship Days
Friday, the Muslim day of congregational prayer (Jumu’ah), remains a normal workday, often clashing with school and office hours. This puts observant Muslims at a disadvantage[^2].
3. Public Examinations on Muslim Holy Days.
In June 2023, NECO conducted exams during Eid al-Adha, forcing Muslim students to choose between religious obligations and academics[^3].
JAMB and WAEC have repeatedly scheduled exams during Eid and Jumu’ah times with little to no accommodations.
4. Discrimination During Rescheduled UTME Exams.
In 2022 and 2024, rescheduled JAMB exams clashed with Friday prayers, and complaints about this systemic exclusion were largely ignored[^4].
5. Dress Code Targeting Muslim Students.
Hijabi students are often subjected to humiliation during national examinations, especially in southern states, under the pretext of “security checks”[^5].
NBAIS: A Pathway, Not Privilege
NBAIS offers a structured, examinable, and government-monitored avenue for those who choose the Arabic and Islamic education route. Instead of excluding NBAIS, other groups (Christian or cultural) are free to advocate for similar frameworks within national standards—just as NBAIS stakeholders did through decades of advocacy and institutional development.
There is no federal law that prohibits recognition of religious language or faith-based qualifications, as long as they meet the national curriculum and quality assurance standards.
Calling for the abolition of NBAIS while ignoring these realities is not about fairness—it is about fear, intolerance, and anxiety about Muslim inclusion.
What Truly Threatens Nigeria’s Unity?
The real threat to Nigeria’s unity is not NBAIS. It is religious exclusion, academic gatekeeping, and the demonization of plural pathways to learning.
Rather than eliminate NBAIS, Nigeria should pursue:
Curriculum harmonization, not cultural erasure.
Plural academic frameworks that reflect our diversity.
A national calendar that respects Muslim and Christian holidays equally.
An examination system that accommodates all faiths fairly.
Conclusion.
The call to abolish NBAIS is a call to deny history, erase identity, and marginalize millions of Nigerians whose educational foundations are rooted in Arabic and Islamic learning. If equity and justice are truly the goals, then NBAIS should be protected—not persecuted.
Let us rise above religious bigotry and embrace a national vision where every child, every faith, and every tradition is given a place to thrive within the framework of unity and mutual
References
[1]: Nigeria Labour Law recognizes January 1st as a public holiday. The day coincides with the Christian “Feast of the Circumcision of Christ” in many Western churches. [2]: Friday prayers (Jumu’ah) are obligatory and time-specific, yet federal structures do not accommodate early closures or time adjustments for Muslim workers and students.
[3]: Sahara Reporters, “NECO Holds Exams On Eid El Kabir Day,” June 2023.
[4]: Daily Trust, “UTME Candidates Miss Exams As JAMB Reschedules On Friday,” April 2022. [5]: Premium Times, “Hijab Crisis: Muslim Candidates Harassed at Exam Centres,” May 2021.
Sa’id Husain Abdullahi
(Kwajale-Sumaila)
Kano State.
