The Federal Ministry of Works has announced intentions to set aside about N500 million for initiatives that will train hairdressers and makeup artists, distribute grinding machines, motorcycles, and mini-vans, and run anti-drug usage awareness campaigns in a few Nigerian states.
The 2026 Appropriations Bill, which was posted on the Budget Office’s website and accessible on Thursday, contains specifics of the planned spending.
According to a budget analysis, these projects and products are spread among the nation’s different geopolitical zones.
The document states that the ministry plans to spend N35 million under budget item code ERGP 12234747 to give women in the South-South zone’s Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency an arbitrary number of grinding machines.
In a same vein, an additional N35 million has been allocated for the training and empowerment of women in the North-Central zone of Mikang/Shandam/Qua’an Pan Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the areas of hairdressing, makeup, and soap manufacture.
The budget also proposes to provide N70 million for the provision of trade equipment and skill development to women, seven pensioners, and youth in the northeastern Gombe State area of Inyamaltu/Deba.
The ministry also intends to spend N70 million on providing motorbikes, micro shuttle buses, and mini pick-up vans to residents of Ebonyi State’s Abakaliki Federal Constituency in the South-East.
Along with a number of other constituency-level initiatives mentioned in the budget, another element consists of training, sensitisation, advocacy, and youth empowerment programs against drug consumption in Zamfara State, which is located in the Northwest.
The Federal Ministry of Works’ 2026 budget’s inclusion of these empowerment programs has generated discussion and prompted enquiries about whether the funding is acceptable given the ministry’s mission.