A coalition of Christian leaders under the banner of The National Prayer Altar (TNPA) has called on the Nigerian government to immediately reverse its policy recognising certificates from the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) as equivalent to WAEC, NECO, and NBTE qualifications.
Describing the policy as unconstitutional and discriminatory, the coalition warned that it undermines Nigeria’s secular education system and threatens national unity.
In a strongly worded petition signed by Prof Kontein Trinya and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, the group said the policy lacked legal foundation, national consensus, and regulatory transparency.
They argued that NBAIS, which was created to certify Arabic and Islamic studies, cannot and should not be placed on equal footing with nationally standardised examining bodies for general admission into secular institutions.
The petition, endorsed by 112 Christian elders at home and in the diaspora, insisted that the equivalence policy be declared “null, void, and of no further effect.”
“This is not a mere policy flaw; it is a fundamental distortion of Nigeria’s secular and merit-based education framework,” the petition stated.
The group argued that no equivalent federal certification exists for Christian, traditional African, or indigenous language-based education systems, warning that the policy effectively institutionalises religious preference.
“It introduces a theological asymmetry into a national education system that is meant to be religiously agnostic,” the petition read.
They warned that recognising NBAIS as a national examining body sets a “dangerous precedent” and violates Sections 10 and 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which uphold religious neutrality and federal character.
The coalition expressed concern that the policy, if not reversed, could spark demands from other religious and ethnic groups to establish parallel examination boards, creating a fragmented and incoherent national education system.
They noted that granting equivalence to NBAIS without proof of curriculum moderation or alignment with national standards risks compromising the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
The petition urged the Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to publicly and permanently revoke the policy.
The group argued that equivalence can only be granted to institutions whose curricula have been vetted by bodies like the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and the National Council on Education (NCE).
“There is no public evidence that NBAIS certifications have undergone such national moderation. Equivalence cannot be presumed. It must be earned through oversight, validation, and transparency,” the petition stated.
They called on the Presidency and the National Assembly to reaffirm that only certifications issued by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBTE-approved bodies qualify for general academic progression and professional training.
TNPA warned that any attempt to enforce the NBAIS equivalence policy without national consultation amounts to an “act of educational exclusion and structural discrimination.”
“This is not a call for reform. It is a call for reversal,” the petition emphasised.
The coalition urged all education regulators, legal institutions, civil society organisations, and democratic actors to act swiftly, warning that failure to reverse the policy would erode institutional trust and democratic integrity.
“This is a defining moment,” the group said. “Either we uphold one national standard for all, or we descend into a patchwork of privileged pathways that fracture the foundation of equity and unity.”
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