Investigations have revealed that the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos, spent over N1.5 billion on projects outside its academic mandate, including farming support and infrastructure in distant states.
The Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology (FCFMT), Lagos State, has come under scrutiny after findings showed it spent huge public funds on projects unrelated to its core academic responsibilities. An investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) revealed that in February 2025, the institution made several payments for farmer support programmes, road construction and agricultural equipment in states far from its operational base.
Data obtained from the government accountability platform, Govspend, showed that the college paid a total of N1.69 billion in 29 separate transactions to 12 companies, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Of this amount, N1.52 billion was spent on projects outside the scope of the institution’s mandate, with all the controversial payments reportedly made on the same day, February 16, 2025.
FIJ found that N125.15 million was paid to two companies for non-academic initiatives in other states. For instance, the college paid Akgen Solution Limited N45.8 million to supply “hairdressing equipment to women in Afaha Kot Ebak, Akwa Ibom State.” It also paid Up and Above Synergy Limited multiple times for projects including “start kits for cassava large-scale farming for selected farming communities in Ikpe and Abak Henge farming communities, Akwa Ibom State” and “tractors to farming communities in Mbia Obong communities of Akwa Ibom State,” with one payment amounting to N34.8 million for cassava farming kits alone.