Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the allocation of ₦1.08 trillion to the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State, in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing the move as evidence of what he called “a blueprint to defraud Nigerians.”
Atiku’s reaction followed a budget analysis by civic technology organization Tracka, which reported that the Federal Cooperative College was assigned to implement 2,791 capital projects across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Tracka, an initiative of BudgIT, monitors public budgets and tracks the execution of government projects.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku commended Tracka for exposing what he described as a disturbing case of budget distortion under the current administration.
He argued that the allocation contradicts the Federal Government’s claims of fiscal discipline at a time Nigerians are facing the effects of fuel subsidy removal, higher taxes and rising public debt.
According to Atiku, it is difficult to justify assigning thousands of projects worth over ₦1 trillion to an institution established to provide cooperative education. He noted that the projects reportedly include roads, drainage systems, solar streetlights, markets, football pitches, dialysis centres, ambulances, water schemes, recycling plants and empowerment programmes nationwide.
Questioning the legality of the arrangement, Atiku asked who authorised the college to serve as the implementing agency for 2,791 projects, who approved the allocations, and who would supervise and be held accountable for their execution.
He said the development raises serious concerns about the credibility of the 2026 budget and accused the government of undermining transparency and accountability in public spending.
“A government that plans to spend ₦1.08 trillion through a cooperative college cannot claim to be fighting waste or promoting fiscal discipline. It looks less like governance and more like a blueprint to defraud Nigerians,” the statement said.
The controversy adds to ongoing criticism of constituency and special intervention projects in recent federal budgets, with transparency advocates repeatedly questioning the use of agencies to implement projects outside their statutory mandates.
