The Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, was allocated N261.52bn for 705 capital projects in the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite its statutory role being limited to cooperative education and training. The allocation is part of a broader pattern in which five academic and research institutions were used as conduits for N565.73bn in projects unrelated to their core mandates. These include road construction, erosion control, solar electrification of hospitals, and youth empowerment schemes. The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute received N122.35bn for 391 projects, while the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, was assigned N85.72bn for 328 projects. The Federal Co-operative College, Ibadan, and the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, received N68.13bn and N28.02bn respectively for projects outside their educational functions.
A review of page 739 of the Appropriation Act shows the Oji River college was assigned N1.5bn for erosion control in Awgu, Oji River and Aninri LGAs, N400m for solar streetlights, N400m for youth programmes, and N350m for hospital solar mini-grids—all on a single page. Erosion control and hospital electrification typically fall under environmental or power agencies, not a cooperative college. On page 707, the same institution was allocated two N500m lines for asphalting farm roads in Udi, Awgu, Oji River and Aninri. A senior National Assembly source said inflating budget figures through institutions has been a recurring practice among lawmakers. The data analysis covered all 95,630 line items in the 2,604-page budget document.
A college meant to train cooperative officers is managing N261.52bn in infrastructure projects it has no mandate or capacity to execute. This redirects public funds through institutions unequipped to deliver them, risking waste and bypassing agencies designed for such tasks. Lawmakers have allegedly used this method before, suggesting a systemic bypass of due process.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
