The National Assembly approved ₦9.887 billion for the purchase and distribution of buses, vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles, tractors, fishing boats, and other empowerment items under the 2026 budget of the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, Enugu State, according to the 2026 Appropriation Act obtained by SaharaReporters from the Budget Office of the Federation. These projects, spread across multiple states, fall outside the institution's core mandate of cooperative education and training.
Budget Breakdown and Key Allocations
The Federal Co-operative College received a total allocation of ₦226.77 billion for 2026, with ₦225.63 billion earmarked for capital projects. Out of that amount, almost ₦9.9 billion was set aside for projects across different states, many with no direct connection to the college's academic responsibilities.
One of the largest allocations is ₦2.1 billion for the "purchase/provision of utility vehicles and other vehicles to assist some farmers, farmers guard and some distribution agents in agric chain distribution in Nigeria with multiple lots." Another ₦630 million was approved for the "provision/supply of security vehicles to enhance security patrol in some selected farming communities in South-South states," while an additional ₦630 million will go towards procuring and distributing boat outboard engines to youths in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Empowerment Items Across States
The budget includes ₦350 million for empowerment items in Owan, Edo State, including sewing machines, motorcycles, refrigerators, grinding machines, freezers, and generators. In Gombe State, another ₦350 million was approved for motorcycles aimed at empowering youths in Akko Federal Constituency. Ogun State got ₦350 million for the procurement of fairly used and brand-new vehicles under a transportation programme in Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency.
Enugu State also has ₦350 million earmarked for the purchase and distribution of CNG minibuses for youths. For Delta South Senatorial District, the budget approved ₦140 million each for tricycles for women and youths, motorcycles, motor cars, and fishing boats. Lagos appeared on the list with ₦210 million budgeted for mini pickups and minibuses to transport agricultural produce in Oshodi/Isolo II, while another ₦70 million was approved for tricycles and minibuses for youth and women empowerment.
Traditional Rulers and Other Allocations
One allocation that has attracted attention is ₦70 million meant for vehicles for traditional rulers in the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory. According to the budget, the vehicles are "to enable them function well in some selected clans." Several other states, including Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kwara, Edo, and Zamfara, also have allocations for motorcycles, tricycles, buses, Hilux vans, fishing boats, and other empowerment materials under the same college's budget.
Concerns Over Transparency
Checks on the official mandate of the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, show no provision empowering the institution to implement nationwide transportation programmes, constituency empowerment projects, or public infrastructure contracts across Nigeria. The development has again raised questions about the long-standing practice of inserting constituency-style projects into the budgets of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that have little or no connection to such projects. Instead of being listed directly under lawmakers' constituency allocations, many of the projects appear as capital projects of the Federal Co-operative College, making it harder for members of the public to identify the legislators who nominated them while leaving the institution as the official implementing agency.
With nearly ₦225.6 billion allocated for capital expenditure alone, the inclusion of ₦9.887 billion worth of buses, vehicles, motorcycles, and other empowerment projects has added fresh scrutiny to the 2026 federal budget and renewed concerns over transparency in Nigeria's appropriation process.
