By Sarah Sam Adda
Local contractors under the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria on Tuesday blocked both entrances of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding payment of what they described as long-overdue debts for completed government projects.
Led by the association’s National Secretary, Babatunde Seun-Oyeniyi, the protesters claimed the Federal Government owed members more than N500bn, alleging that repeated assurances, including from the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun had not resulted in any payments.
The blockade left ministry staff and visitors stranded as contractors vowed not to leave until the debts were cleared.
Oyeniyi said the government had shifted its position despite earlier interventions by the National Assembly.
He noted that contractors suspended a previous protest after being assured that payments would be prioritised, and cited the minister’s claim that N150bn was available for disbursement, yet no release had followed.
He added that although some payment warrants had been sighted, they had not been backed with cash, alleging moves to push the payments into the 2026 fiscal year.
Demonstrators carried placards reading, “Banks no longer have confidence in sponsoring government projects,” “Payment delays are fraud,” and “Contractors deserve payment, not fake promises,” while chanting songs targeted at Edun and President Bola Tinubu.
In November, tensions escalated when contractors stormed the National Assembly, prompting the House of Representatives to suspend plenary for a week.
As of Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Finance had not issued a formal response.
