Features
How constituency projects was being fraudulently funneled through Nigeria's agriculture ministry
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
31 Dec 2025 04:30 AM
MonITNG, A civic monitoring group has raised alarms over what it describes as the misuse of Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) as a conduit for diverting public funds via unrelated constituency projects, echoing broader concerns about budget irregularities in the 2025 fiscal plan.
In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), the platform MonITNG accused lawmakers of inserting non-agricultural projects, such as police stations, solar street lights, and school renovations into the ministry's budget under the guise of "rural development."
The group highlighted specific examples from the 2025 budget, including ₦1 billion allocations routed through the Federal Co-operative College in Ibadan for constructing and equipping police stations, projects far removed from the institution's focus on cooperative education.
"These insertions are often pushed by members of the National Assembly under Zonal Intervention Projects, using 'rural development' as a catch-all excuse," the post stated, warning that such mismatches lead to "inflated contracts, weak supervision, abandoned sites, and substandard execution."
MonITNG called on anti-corruption bodies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), along with the Ministry of Finance, to scrutinize these allocations and enforce alignment with agency mandates.
The allegations align with findings from civil society organizations tracking Nigeria's public finances. Earlier in 2025, BudgIT, a budget transparency group, revealed that the National Assembly had inserted 11,122 projects worth ₦6.93 trillion into the federal budget, many of which were deemed suspicious or unrelated to core mandates.
A separate BudgIT analysis flagged ₦7 trillion in dubious insertions, exceeding the combined budgets for defense, education, and health.
BudgIT has long criticized the Ministry of Agriculture as a "dumping ground" for such Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), which inflate capital votes while diverting resources from essential agricultural priorities like irrigation and value-chain development.
Think tank Agora Policy echoed these concerns in a June 2025 report, labeling Nigeria's constituency projects system as "flawed, corruption-prone," and in need of urgent overhaul.
The report noted that these projects, intended to address local needs, have become vehicles for abuse, with investigations by bodies like the ICPC leading to recoveries in past cases.
Similar patterns have appeared in other recent exposés. For instance, MonITNG previously highlighted an overpriced ₦355 million ICT center in Akwa Ibom, routed through the same Federal Co-operative College in Ibadan, despite the project's irrelevance to agriculture.
In July 2025, former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad disclosed that some farmers had diverted billions in agricultural loans under previous administrations into unrelated sectors like oil and gas or bureau de change operations, contributing to food scarcity.
Critics argue that these practices exacerbate Nigeria's food security challenges amid soaring prices. The 2025 budget, already mired in controversy over alleged padding, has faced implementation hurdles, with the Accountant-General suspending fund requests in August, potentially rolling over projects into 2026.
Lawmakers have also probed misuse of agricultural intervention funds, as seen in a June 2025 House of Representatives inquiry.
Neither FMARD nor the National Assembly has issued an immediate response to the latest allegations. However, anti-corruption agencies have been active in related cases; the ICPC secured a conviction in November 2025 for a public servant involved in salary fraud, while the EFCC recently investigated a ₦4.6 billion diversion scheme in Bauchi State.
As public scrutiny intensifies, advocates like MonITNG urge citizens to demand accountability, emphasizing that funds earmarked for agriculture must prioritize genuine needs over patronage.
"Public funds meant for food security must no longer be hijacked under the cover of agriculture," the group concluded.
In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), the platform MonITNG accused lawmakers of inserting non-agricultural projects, such as police stations, solar street lights, and school renovations into the ministry's budget under the guise of "rural development."
The group highlighted specific examples from the 2025 budget, including ₦1 billion allocations routed through the Federal Co-operative College in Ibadan for constructing and equipping police stations, projects far removed from the institution's focus on cooperative education.
"These insertions are often pushed by members of the National Assembly under Zonal Intervention Projects, using 'rural development' as a catch-all excuse," the post stated, warning that such mismatches lead to "inflated contracts, weak supervision, abandoned sites, and substandard execution."
MonITNG called on anti-corruption bodies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), along with the Ministry of Finance, to scrutinize these allocations and enforce alignment with agency mandates.
The allegations align with findings from civil society organizations tracking Nigeria's public finances. Earlier in 2025, BudgIT, a budget transparency group, revealed that the National Assembly had inserted 11,122 projects worth ₦6.93 trillion into the federal budget, many of which were deemed suspicious or unrelated to core mandates.
A separate BudgIT analysis flagged ₦7 trillion in dubious insertions, exceeding the combined budgets for defense, education, and health.
BudgIT has long criticized the Ministry of Agriculture as a "dumping ground" for such Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), which inflate capital votes while diverting resources from essential agricultural priorities like irrigation and value-chain development.
Think tank Agora Policy echoed these concerns in a June 2025 report, labeling Nigeria's constituency projects system as "flawed, corruption-prone," and in need of urgent overhaul.
The report noted that these projects, intended to address local needs, have become vehicles for abuse, with investigations by bodies like the ICPC leading to recoveries in past cases.
Similar patterns have appeared in other recent exposés. For instance, MonITNG previously highlighted an overpriced ₦355 million ICT center in Akwa Ibom, routed through the same Federal Co-operative College in Ibadan, despite the project's irrelevance to agriculture.
In July 2025, former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad disclosed that some farmers had diverted billions in agricultural loans under previous administrations into unrelated sectors like oil and gas or bureau de change operations, contributing to food scarcity.
Critics argue that these practices exacerbate Nigeria's food security challenges amid soaring prices. The 2025 budget, already mired in controversy over alleged padding, has faced implementation hurdles, with the Accountant-General suspending fund requests in August, potentially rolling over projects into 2026.
Lawmakers have also probed misuse of agricultural intervention funds, as seen in a June 2025 House of Representatives inquiry.
Neither FMARD nor the National Assembly has issued an immediate response to the latest allegations. However, anti-corruption agencies have been active in related cases; the ICPC secured a conviction in November 2025 for a public servant involved in salary fraud, while the EFCC recently investigated a ₦4.6 billion diversion scheme in Bauchi State.
As public scrutiny intensifies, advocates like MonITNG urge citizens to demand accountability, emphasizing that funds earmarked for agriculture must prioritize genuine needs over patronage.
"Public funds meant for food security must no longer be hijacked under the cover of agriculture," the group concluded.
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