A review of the 2026 Appropriation Act by SaharaReporters revealed that the National Assembly has approved no fewer than N29.59 billion for the provision and installation of solar street lights, transformers, and rural electrification projects across several states of Nigeria under the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, Enugu State, despite such projects being outside its legal mandate as an academic institution.
The review revealed that the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, received a total allocation of N226,774,286,482, with N225,632,456,036 earmarked for capital expenditure.
Embedded within the capital allocation, however, is N29,590,050,651 dedicated to dozens of constituency-style projects involving the provision and installation of solar street lights, transformers and rural electrification spread across virtually every geopolitical zone of the country.
Checks by SaharaReporters on the official website of the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, showed that the institution’s core mandate is to provide academic and professional training in cooperative education and management.
There is no provision empowering the institution to execute nationwide electrification, transformer procurement and installation, or public infrastructure contracts in or across communities or cities.
Yet the 2026 budget assigns the institution responsibility for electricity projects stretching from Cross River to Sokoto, Lagos to Adamawa, Rivers to Katsina, Ogun to Taraba, and virtually every region of the country.
The projects are contained on pages 731 to 761 of the 2,790-page 2026 approved budget document obtained by SaharaReporters from the Budget Office of the Federation.
Among the largest allocations approved under the college’s budget is N1.4 billion for the construction of transformer substations in selected rural communities nationwide under multiple lots.
Another N1.05 billion was approved for the electrification of Nonwa, Koroma and other communities in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The budget also contains another N1.05 billion for the construction of all-in-one solar street lights in selected locations across Ogun State under multiple lots.
The lawmakers also inserted N700 million for the purchase and installation of all-in-one solar street lights across selected local government areas in Enugu East Senatorial District.
Three separate allocations of N700 million each were approved for the completion of sports complexes complete with motorised boreholes, floodlights and solar street lights in Ipoti Ekiti, Erijiyan Ekiti and Ado Ekiti of Ekiti State.
Another N700 million was approved for the construction and installation of high-intensity solar street lights on rural farm roads across Imo and Anambra states, while N700 million was budgeted for all-in-one solar street lights on the Ukpo-Abagana Link Road in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The budget equally provides N700 million for solar-powered street lights across communities in Osun West Senatorial District.
Further scrutiny of the budget revealed N575 million budgeted for all-in-one solar street lights at Kesinjo, Aladi and Akeyo communities in Ibadan, Oyo State, alongside N560 million for transformers in selected rural communities across Osun West Senatorial District, Osun State.
Another N450 million was inserted for solar street lighting projects across communities in Ibusa, Delta State.
The allocations continued with N420 million for all-in-one solar street lights across selected communities in Anambra State and another N420 million for solar lighting projects covering Akaeme, Umuago, Ogume, Umulewe, Nchoke, Umuaghobe, Osina, Ikwuano and Iheme communities in Imo State.
Similarly, no fewer than a dozen projects received N350 million each, including rural electrification in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State; construction of solar street lights in communities across Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State; construction of a town hall with solar-powered borehole and street lights in Betukwel Community, and fabrication and construction of all-in-one solar street lights across selected locations in the Federal Capital Territory.
Others are solar mini-grid projects in Ogbomoso and Oke Ogun areas of Oyo State; green energy and mini-grid projects in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State; all-in-one solar street lights in Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency; solar street lights in Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Federal Constituencies of Imo State; installation of 3-in-1 solar-powered street lights across multiple constituencies, and solar lighting projects in security-threatened communities in Oji River Federal Constituency of Enugu State.
The review further revealed that N315 million was allocated for all-in-one solar street lights in selected communities within Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra State, and N290.85 million was allocated for transformers and rural electrification projects in Arokoagoro and other selected communities.
There are also N280 million allocations for transformers in Kaduna Central Senatorial District and separate N280 million projects for solar street lighting across several local government areas in Katsina State.
The review further showed N269.5 million and N255.5 million for security solar lighting projects in Ahiazu Mbaise/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency of Imo State.
Multiple projects also received N245 million each, including solar street lights across Ado, Efon and Ijero local government areas in Ekiti State; transformers in selected communities in Osun West Senatorial District, and renewable energy projects in the North-East region of the country.
Another cluster of projects received N210 million each, including transformer supply in Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State; transformer procurement across Cross River North Senatorial District; and rural electrification of Nkum Irede Community in Ogoja Local Government Area.
Others are solar street lights in ABI/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State; solar street lights in Madagali/Michika Federal Constituency of Adamawa State; projects in Sokoto East Senatorial District; solar-powered street lights in Ekiti South Senatorial District; renewable energy projects in Delta State; and several other electricity projects nationwide.
The college’s budget also contains N192.18 million for solar street lights across Rivers South-East Senatorial District and several projects valued at N175 million each, including renewable energy infrastructure in Ogun East Senatorial District, transformers and grid extension in Oron/Mbo/Okobo/Udung Uko/Urue-Offong Oruko Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.
Others are solar street lights in Eti-Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State, electrification of sections of the Old Enugu-Onitsha Road with solar-powered traffic control infrastructure, and additional projects in Edo and Enugu states.
The remaining projects range from N7 million to N154 million, covering transformer installations, feeder pillars, electricity reticulation, mini-grids, solar-powered boreholes, renewable energy systems and thousands of solar street lights in communities across Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara states.
These include N140 million allocated for the supply and installation of solar street lights in Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency of Kano State; N70 million for solar street lights in selected communities in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State; another N70 million for solar street lights in Onicha Olona, Delta State; and N35 million for solar street lights in parts of Enugu East Senatorial District.
The budget also provides N70 million for security solar street lights in Inland Town, Onitsha, Anambra State, and N140 million for all-in-one solar-powered street lights in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.
Other projects include the procurement and installation of transformers, rural electrification works, construction of solar-powered street lighting systems, grid extensions and security lighting schemes in dozens of federal constituencies across the country.
The review also uncovered dozens of additional electrification projects running into several billions of naira, all allocated to the Federal Co-operative College, Oji River, despite the institution’s academic mandate.
Among them are N14 million for all-in-one solar street lights in Umunri, Anambra State; N35 million for electricity installation in Ibogholo Community, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State; and N24.5 million for solar street lights on Edho Street in Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Others are N70 million for solar-powered lighting across Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State; N42 million for solar street lights in Idumusah, Ika North East, Delta State; N70 million for the installation of 300KVA transformers in Oghu and Akama communities of Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency in Enugu State; and N84 million for all-in-one solar street lights in Owa-Ekei and Owa Alizimor communities in Delta State.
Other allocations include N63 million for solar street lights at Umuoda Community in Enugu State; and N54.29 million for solar street lights in Asha na Eze communities in Oboama Ezinihitte, Imo State.
Also, N58.17 million was allocated for solar street lights in Tsagero, Ajiwa, Dandagoro and Banye towns; N21 million for a solar-powered borehole in Ondo State; N70 million for high-powered renewable solar street lights in selected communities in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State; and N35 million for solar-powered street lights in dormitories of selected boarding schools in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District.
The budget further provides N140 million for all-in-one solar street lights in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State; N70 million for similar projects in Ukwa West; another N140 million in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area; N70 million for solar street lights in Obingwa and Aba North; N70 million for additional solar lighting across Abia South Senatorial District; and N70 million for solar street lights in Korokorosei, Bayelsa State.
Others are N28 million for street lighting in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, and N154 million for 3-in-1 solar lighting in Opuko Community, Khana Local Government Area.
Further insertions include N42 million for solar-powered street lights across rural areas of Oyo North Senatorial District; N70 million for electrification of Ogbenbiri Community in Delta State; N70 million for solar street lights in Uruan and Uyo local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The review further revealed allocations of N210 million for street lights in Ekiti South Senatorial District; N175 million for solar street lights in selected towns in Ekiti North; N70 million for 500KVA transformers across Ondo Central Senatorial District; N70 million for solar street lights in Ogun West; N175 million for solar-powered street lights in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The latest revelations reinforce a pattern SaharaReporters has repeatedly exposed over the years in which lawmakers insert numerous constituency projects into the budgets of ministries, departments, agencies and tertiary institutions that neither possess the statutory mandate nor the technical capacity to execute them.
Public finance experts have consistently warned that such practices weaken accountability because institutions are forced to supervise projects completely outside their legal responsibilities, making oversight difficult and creating opportunities for inflated contracts, abandoned projects and misuse of public funds.