SaharaReporters’ review of Nigeria’s 2026 Appropriation Act has uncovered N46.616 billion allocated for road construction, rehabilitation, erosion, drainage, bridge and flood-control projects across several states under the budget of the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, Enugu State, despite the projects having no apparent connection to the institution’s core academic mandate.
The projects, spread across states including Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Katsina, Sokoto, Kano and others, are listed under the College’s capital expenditure in the 2,790-page 2026 Appropriation Act obtained by SaharaReporters from the Budget Office of the Federation.
Pages 731 to 761 show that the College received a total allocation of N226.774 billion, including N225.632 billion for capital expenditure. Of that capital allocation, N46.616425 billion was earmarked for dozens of road, erosion, drainage, bridge, walkway and flood-control projects nationwide.
The allocations are particularly striking because the Federal Co-operative College is an academic institution whose mandate centres on cooperative education and management.
SaharaReporters found no apparent mandate authorising it to undertake nationwide road construction, erosion control, flood-control or community development projects.
Among the largest allocations are N2.1 billion for roads in selected communities in Anambra; N1.9 billion for the Baddore-Lukosi Road; N1.75 billion for rural farming roads in the South-South; and N1.4 billion each for roads in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti; South-Western farming communities; selected farm roads in Ogun; and the Shimawa-Kaniyi Road.
Other major allocations include N1.05 billion for rural farm roads in Akko Federal Constituency, Gombe, and another N1.05 billion for the Imezi-Owa/Aguobu-Owa/Awha/
The budget also contains multiple N700 million allocations for rural access and farm roads across Ogun and the South-West, as well as projects in Ekiti and other states.
Further allocations include N570 million for the Umueze Farm Road Extension/Oboshi Bridge in Delta; N530 million for a rural road at Ohonre, Ugbowo, Edo; N490 million for Egun Street; N455 million for rural farm roads in Batsari, Katsina; and N434 million for Mordi Street in Delta.
Across Abia, Enugu, Delta, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ondo, Anambra, Cross River, Edo and other states, the budget contains numerous additional projects with allocations ranging from N350 million to N175 million, including roads, bridges, erosion and flood-control works, concrete roads, walkways and drainage projects.
In Abia North alone, numerous road projects carry individual allocations of between N175 million and N315 million, covering communities including Eziama-Agbo, Obinulo, Umuaku, Mbala, Ngodo, Amuda, Lokpaukwu, Lomara, Abia Road, Akanu Ukwu, Isiugwu, Ndiorieke-Eziafor, Ebem, Elu Ohafia, Okagbue-Ohafia and Ndi Inya to Idima.
Bayelsa projects include concrete walkways and roads in Ekowei, Igbogene and Kulama communities, a concrete landing jetty in Kokologbene and a concrete walkway with drainage in Kaima.
The Enugu allocations include N175 million for the Afor Nachi Road linking the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, N105 million for Ebe Road, N35 million for Amaka Oduma Road, N56 million for an Awh.A farm access road and N105 million for selected community roads, alongside separate N350 million allocations for roads and erosion-control projects in Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency.
Northern projects include roads and bridges in Kano, Sokoto and Katsina, while other allocations cover projects in Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Delta, Lagos, Kogi, Ogun and Ekiti.
The document therefore shows that N46.616425 billion of the College’s N225.632 billion capital allocation, about one-fifth, was assigned to nationwide infrastructure projects, rather than projects apparently connected to its core educational mandate.
(SaharaReporters)