FLASH POINT

By Shehu Yahaya

The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBIAS) has organised a two-day in-house orientation programme to strengthen budget preparation processes and enhance financial planning and budgeting skills among its staff.

The training, held from January 15 to 16, 2026, took place at Quarterhouse Hotel, Malali GRA, Kaduna, and was designed to improve staff capacity in prudent financial management and effective utilisation of resources.

Declaring the programme open, the Registrar of the Board, Professor Yahuza Suleiman Imam, represented by the Senior Assistant (Administration), Malam Dalhatu Zubairu, described the orientation as timely and strategic. He commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Maaruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, for their leadership in coordinating the education sector.

In his remarks, the Director of Administration and Human Resources Management, Dr. Abdulrasheed Salman, urged participants to fully engage with the resource persons and apply the knowledge gained to their daily responsibilities for improved efficiency and service delivery.

Also speaking, the Director of Finance, Alhaji Abdulhameed Mohammed, FCNA, ACTI, said the orientation was targeted at equipping staff of the Finance Department with modern skills and best practices in budgeting and financial planning. He noted that proper budget preparation and implementation would enable the Board to optimise available resources and align expenditures with institutional priorities.

Alhaji Mohammed added that the training would further strengthen staff capacity in forecasting, monitoring and evaluating budget performance, thereby reducing waste and improving efficiency.

The programme featured interactive sessions, presentations and practical discussions on budgeting frameworks, financial planning tools and public sector financial management. Participants expressed optimism that the orientation would positively impact the Board’s financial operations.

Certificates of attendance were presented to participants at the conclusion of the workshop.