The Nigerian government has fully digitalised the registration and certification processes for the Senior Arabic and Islamic Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SAISSCE), according to Professor Yahuza Imam, Registrar of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS).
Speaking in Kaduna on Sunday during an assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after two years in office, Imam said, that the board had recorded significant academic and infrastructural progress under the current administration.
He noted that the digitalisation process includes online registration, candidate evaluation, photo albums, result processing, and certification. As a result, the number of examination centres has grown to 91, with over 9,200 candidates registering for the 2025 June/July SAISSCE.
Imam further revealed that the board is preparing to transition from paper-based to computer-based testing for future SAISSCE sessions.
He added that NBAIS had also advanced the acceptance of SAISSCE as an Ordinary Level qualification for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions, in accordance with guidelines from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Similarly, following directives from the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria, SAISSCE is now accepted as a qualification for admission into Nursing, Midwifery, and other affiliated health institutions.
Imam disclosed that the board had carried out 18 advocacy and community sensitisation campaigns focused on promoting girl-child education. In 2024, NBAIS also conducted promotion exercises for 2,291 senior and 768 junior staff.
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“We are enhancing our media and public engagement through press releases, publications, media chats, and press conferences with both national and international platforms,” he said.
The registrar expressed appreciation for the Tinubu administration’s continued support for education, including Arabic and Islamic studies.
NBAIS, originally founded in 1960 by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, became affiliated with Ahmadu Bello University in 1968/69. It was recognised by the National Council on Education as a national examination body in 2011 and formally transferred to the Federal Ministry of Education in 2016, following a Federal Executive Council waiver.
