Contractors protest unpaid debts at finance ministry in Abuja
Doris Uzoka-Anite was prevented from entering the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja as indigenous contractors blocked the main gate in protest over unpaid government obligations. The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, led by Jackson Nwosu, accused the Federal Government of failing to pay for completed projects despite budget allocations in the 2024 and 2025 budgets. The protesters claimed that many members faced financial hardship due to the prolonged delay in payments. The association vowed to continue protesting until all verified contract payments are fully settled.
TLDR
- Jackson Nwosu said the government failed to honour agreements and that payments finalised before the closure of the payment portal at the end of December never reflected in contractors’ accounts.
- Issuance of payment warrants reportedly stopped in May 2025, with contractors continuing to deliver projects without receiving funds.
- Babatunde Oyeniyi stated that AICAN had engaged the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly since June 2025 without tangible results.
- In December 2025, Bola Tinubu set up a multi-ministerial committee to address debts owed to federal contractors, estimated at about N1.5tn.
- The 2026 Appropriation Bill includes N1.7tn for outstanding 2024 contractor liabilities and N100bn for other local contractors’ debts, as part of a N23.2tn capital expenditure plan.
