The Federal Ministry of Works has come under public scrutiny following the revelation that more than ₦500 million has been earmarked in its 2026 budget proposal for empowerment programmes that appear far removed from its core infrastructure mandate.
According to details contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill published on the Budget Office of the Federation’s website, the ministry plans to fund a range of skill-acquisition, empowerment, and social intervention projects across different parts of the country. These include training programmes for hairdressers and make-up artists, the distribution of grinding machines, motorcycles, mini-vans, and the implementation of anti-drug abuse campaigns in selected states.
A breakdown of the budget shows that the projects are spread across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and tied largely to constituency-level initiatives. Under budget item code ERGP 12234747, the ministry proposes to spend ₦35 million on the provision of grinding machines for women in Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency in the South-South.
Another ₦35 million has been allocated for training and empowering women in hairdressing, make-up, and soap production in Mikang, Shandam, and Qua’an Pan Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the North-Central zone.
In the North-East, the ministry plans to spend ₦70 million on skill acquisition and the provision of trade equipment for youths, women, and seven retirees in the Inyamaltu/Deba area of Gombe State. A similar amount, ₦70 million has been earmarked for the supply of mini pick-up vans, mini shuttle buses, and motorcycles to beneficiaries in Abakaliki Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the South-East.
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The budget proposal also includes funding for training, sensitisation, advocacy, and youth empowerment programmes aimed at combating drug abuse in Zamfara State in the North-West, alongside several other constituency-specific interventions.
While empowerment and social development initiatives are widely regarded as important, the presence of such projects in the Federal Ministry of Works’ budget has triggered debate among analysts and members of the public. Critics are questioning whether these expenditures align with the statutory responsibilities of a ministry primarily tasked with road construction, maintenance, and other public works.
As deliberations over the 2026 budget continue at the National Assembly, the allocations have reignited broader conversations about mandate clarity, budget discipline, and the growing practice of embedding constituency-style projects within federal ministries’ spending plans.
