Contractors protest at finance ministry, demand N500bn debt payment

Local contractors under the umbrella of the All-Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria on Wednesday escalated their protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, blocking both entrances with a coffin as they demanded payment of over N500 billion owed to them by the federal government.

The dramatic display caused gridlock, temporarily shutting down movement in and out of the ministry. This marks the latest effort by the contractors to pressure the government to honour what they described as long-overdue payments for completed and commissioned projects.

The group’s national secretary, Babatunde Seun-Oyeniyi, who led the protest, accused the Ministry of Finance of repeatedly shifting its position, making unfulfilled promises, and failing to demonstrate a genuine commitment to resolving the debt despite several meetings.

Speaking to journalists at the ministry’s gate, Oyeniyi said the contractors were frustrated by the government’s failure to release funds after numerous assurances.

He explained that earlier this year, following intervention by the National Assembly, the contractors had suspended demonstrations in good faith—only for the ministry to reportedly go silent again.

“After the National Assembly intervened, they told us they would sit the minister down over this matter, and we immediately stopped the protest.

“But since then, nothing has happened. We’ve come here more than six times. Last week, we were here throughout the night before the Minister of Finance came,” he said.

Oyeniyi insisted that the contractors have verifiable evidence that funds are available. “From our last conversation with the minister, he said about N150 billion was ready to pay indigenous contractors. We don’t know why it is still being delayed,” he said.

He added that although some payment warrants had been sighted, the funds had not been cash-backed. “Specifically, when we collated, they are owing more than N500 billion for all indigenous contractors. We only see warrants; there is no cash,” he said.

The association further accused government officials of attempting to push the payments into the 2026 fiscal year, a move they warned would worsen their financial distress.

Meanwhile, civil servants and visitors were stranded for hours as the demonstrators blocked the ministry’s two main gates, chanting slogans including: “Na our money we need o, Wale Edun pay us, Tinubu pay us.”

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