Works Ministry proposes N500m for hairdressers’ training, motorcycles, grinding machines in 2026 Budget

The Federal Ministry of Works has proposed to spend more than N500 million on empowerment programmes and social intervention projects in the 2026 fiscal year, including the training of hairdressers and makeup artists, the supply of grinding machines, motorcycles and mini-vans, as well as anti-drug abuse sensitisation activities across selected states of the federation.

Details of the proposed expenditure are contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill uploaded on the website of the Budget Office of the Federation and reviewed by Vanguard on Wednesday.

An examination of the budget document shows that the projects, which are spread across different geopolitical zones, are listed under various empowerment and intervention sub-heads, despite the ministry’s core mandate being road construction and infrastructure development.

Under one of the budget lines, identified with code ERGP 12234747, the ministry proposed to spend N35 million on the supply of grinding machines to women in Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency in Delta State, within the South-South zone. The document, however, did not specify the number of machines to be procured.

A similar allocation of N35 million was proposed for the training and empowerment of women in hairdressing, makeup and soap production in Mikang, Shandam and Qua’an Pan Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the North-Central region.

The budget also includes a proposal to spend N70 million on the training and empowerment of youths and seven retirees in various skills and trade equipment in Inyamaltu/Deba area of Gombe State in the North-East.

In the South-East, the ministry plans to allocate N70 million for the supply of mini pick-up vans, mini shuttle buses and motorcycles to constituents in Abakaliki Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State.

Additionally, the document lists a proposal for the training, sensitisation, advocacy and empowerment of North-Central youths against drug abuse in Zamfara State, which is geographically located in the North-West, alongside several other similar interventions across the country.

The inclusion of these items in the Works Ministry’s budget has raised questions in policy circles about mandate alignment and the growing trend of social empowerment projects being embedded in the budgets of infrastructure-focused ministries.