NBAIS insists its certificate matches WAEC, NECO in value
A representative of the National Board of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) has stated that the board’s qualification holds equal value to certificates issued by the West Africa Certificate Examination and the National Examination Council.
Ustaz Abdul-Lateef Adekilekun, the special assistant to the NBAIS registrar, made this claim during an interview on Monday in Osogbo.
Mr Adekilekun explained that although the board has a long-standing presence and is officially recognized by the federal government, a majority of higher institutions in Nigeria do not yet accept its certificate for student admissions.
He emphasized that universities and colleges nationwide need to gain better awareness about the validity and legitimacy of the board’s qualification.
“The board was initially established as the Board of Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1960, mainly for Northern Nigeria. In 1967, the board was transferred to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) as a result of the creation of states.
“However, in 2011, after 40 years of its existence under ABU, the board became national and was recognised by the Federal Ministry of Education as an examination board. The board became equivalent to WAEC and NECO, with its headquarters in Kaduna,” he said.
The official also stated that in 2017, the board achieved autonomy similar to WAEC and NECO, and its certificate received international recognition.
“Due to Federal Government and National University Commission directives, the NBAIS certificate is being accepted by many universities in the North and some in the South.
“But its acceptability is not as expected in spite of its approval by the federal government and NUC,” he said.
Mr Adekilekun explained that the board’s objective is to merge Arabic education with Western education and mentioned that 26 states currently participate in the NBAIS examination, with 1,200 affiliated schools throughout the country.
He further noted that both Christian and Muslim students in the system are taught Islamic and Arabic studies along with standard subjects like Mathematics, English, and other core disciplines.
Still, the NBAIS official urged the federal government to form an advocacy and mobilisation team made up of credible individuals to travel nationwide and engage with tertiary institutions.
