However, the civic organisation said that the National Assembly included projects that are well beyond the college’s constitutional competence and responsibilities, raising the projected budget—which is not even close to a billion Naira—to N42.7 billion.

According to research by Nigeria’s civic tech group BudgIT Foundation, the National Assembly allegedly injected N42 billion into the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa in Gombe State, as part of a budget padding binge of the 2024 Fiscal Appropriations Act.

The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa in Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria, submitted a projected budget of N368 million to the National Assembly, according to a statement made by BudgIT on Monday.

However, the civic organisation said that the National Assembly included projects that are well beyond the college’s constitutional competence and responsibilities, raising the projected budget—which is not even close to a billion Naira—to N42.7 billion.

In an X post, BudgIT asked, “Which way, Nigeria? In this nation, let us fear God, for how else can you explain this?

“The National Assembly granted N42.7 billion, but the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, sought N368 million.

“A 42 billion Naira disparity! For a nation that struggles with debts and a high debt servicing ratio, how are these insertions acceptable? God exists, Kai. #TheBudgetisaMess.

According to the organisation, the college was given N1.6 billion for the purpose of “Supply and installation of solar street lights in federal constituencies in Osun, Edo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Osun state, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi state.” The majority of the inserted projects are outside the colleges’ constitutional mandates.

Additionally, the National Assembly allocated N1.5 billion to the institution for the purpose of “Building classroom blocks, solar street lights, boreholes, and provision and installation of transformers in selected federal constituencies in Nigeria.”

N2 billion was given to the college for two projects: “Supply of mini buses in some selected areas of Saala Orile, Ibatefin, and Orelope for human capital development batches 1-10” and “Supply and installation of solar powered boreholes in federal constituencies in Kebbi, Oyo, Katsina, Benuec, Akwa Ibom, Edo state.”

In addition, N2 billion was set aside for the “construction/furnishing of community commercial school Maun and Mayigi Community High School, Ilashe (Lot 1-2)” and “rehabilitation of some selected community primary (not known whether primary schools or primary healthcare centres) across South West.”

Two projects were given N1.1 billion each: “Installation of solar street lights for communities in Bassa, Kogi State,” and “Provision and installation of solar powered street lights for rural farming communities of K. Kusar/Shani federal constituency.”

A further N995,926,518 was set aside for the following projects: “Building solar-powered boreholes in various locations in Sokoto and Bauchi states” and “Supply and distribution of Bajaj tricycles for unemployed persons for mass transportation within selected areas of Lagos.”

While the institution received N695,926,518 for the purposes of “building classrooms in different Kano state locations” and “supplying various food items for distribution as palliative throughout Maiduguri metropolitan federal constituency, Borno state.”

Even though the Federal College of Horticultural Technology is a government-owned postsecondary educational institution, these budget additions were nonetheless made.

The college, a research facility under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, is situated in Dadin Kowa, Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe state, Nigeria. Its mission is to develop and train labourers in horticultural and landscaping technology.

The college is an institution that awards National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas and has permission from the National Board for Technical Education.