Petition Slams Equating Islamic Certificate with WAEC, NECO

National Prayer Altar Condemns National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) Certificate Recognition, Demands Immediate Policy Reversal

A prominent religious advocacy group, The National Prayer Altar, has issued a strongly worded petition demanding the immediate revocation of the Nigerian government’s policy recognizing certificates from the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) as equivalent to WAEC, NECO, and NBTE qualifications for entry into secular tertiary institutions.

In a detailed statement dated May 14, 2025, and addressed to key education regulatory bodies — including the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) — the organisation expressed grave concerns over what it described as a breach of Nigeria’s secular educational structure and a threat to national cohesion.

According to the petition, the Federal Government’s policy undermines constitutional neutrality by integrating a religious-based certification into the mainstream academic system, in violation of the secular principles enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.

“This policy decision does not merely flirt with constitutional boundaries — it crosses them,” the petition read.
“It introduces a theological imbalance into a system that, by law and design, should remain secular, merit-based, and religiously impartial.”

The group raised particular objections to the elevation of specific NBAIS certifications — including those linked to Tahfeez (Qur’anic memorization) and SAISSCE (Senior Arabic and Islamic Secondary School Certificate Examination) — arguing that these are religious in content and not comparable in scope or assessment to general education certifications such as WAEC and NECO.

Citing Sections 10 and 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the group warned that the policy violates the constitutional mandate for religious neutrality and undermines the Federal Character Principle by privileging one religious tradition over others.

“No federal education board exists for Biblical studies or indigenous cultural traditions such as Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Tiv, or Ijaw,” the statement noted.
“This move sets a dangerous precedent and invites the risk of religious fragmentation within the national education system.”

The National Prayer Altar further criticized the lack of legislative backing or formal inter-agency consensus regarding the NBAIS certificate recognition. It noted that no Act of the National Assembly, Executive Order, or published government communiqué explicitly authorizes the elevation of NBAIS to the status of a general certifying body.

“Legitimacy in a federal education system is not conferred by silence, speculation, or stealth,” the group emphasized.

The organisation warned that continued implementation of this policy could trigger a wave of similar demands from other religious and ethnic groups, potentially leading to a proliferation of ideological certification boards, policy confusion, and a breakdown of national academic standards.

Calling the move a “strategic distortion” of Nigeria’s education framework, The National Prayer Altar insisted that its petition is not a request for reform, but a demand for full policy reversal.

“This is not a call for review or compromise. It is a demand for total abolition,” the group declared.
“The recognition of NBAIS certificates must be rescinded in full to safeguard the future of Nigeria’s children, its institutions, and its constitutional democracy.”

Among the key demands listed in the petition are:

Immediate termination of the NBAIS certificate equivalence policy;

A formal declaration by the Presidency and National Assembly affirming that only certificates issued by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBTE-approved bodies shall be recognized for general academic progression;

A clear national policy that prohibits the elevation of any religious or cultural certification to equivalence status unless a secular, inclusive framework is made equally available to all traditions under identical standards.

The petition was co-signed by over 100 religious and academic leaders from within Nigeria and the diaspora, including Professor Kontein Trinya, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, and Professor Olanrewaju Awotona, among others.