Indigenous contractors on Monday resumed protests in Abuja over an alleged N4 trillion debt owed by the Federal Government for completed 2024 capital projects.
The development was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
The protest came weeks after the contractors staged a similar action in December 2025 over the same unpaid obligations.
The protesters gathered at the Ministry of Finance, insisting they would not leave until the outstanding balance was paid.
Only part of the debt was settled after the December protest.
What they are saying
Speaking during the protest, AICAN President, Mr Jackson Nwosu, said the debt covered capital projects executed for the Federal Government in 2024.
He said the projects had been completed, but contractors had yet to be paid. Nwosu said most members financed the projects through commercial bank loans.
He said the delays had pushed many contractors into financial distress.
According to him, only about 40% of the outstanding amount was paid after the December 2025 protest. He said members would remain at the ministry until the balance was released.
“We are talking about over N4 trillion in unpaid capital projects executed for the Federal Government in 2024,” Nwosu said. “These projects have been completed, yet contractors are still unpaid.”
He warned that the association could take further action if the debt remained unpaid.
He said the situation posed a risk to the wider economy.
Impacts on contractors
Nwosu said many contractors had defaulted on bank loans. He said banks had seized properties belonging to some members.
He added that some contractors had reportedly died due to the financial pressure. He accused the Federal Government of failing to honour agreements reached with the association.
He said AICAN submitted a list of contractors who completed their projects without any results. Nwosu also cited assurances by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.
He said she promised that payment warrants would be released once the list was submitted. He said no payment followed.
He added that members had yet to receive any payment alerts. This was despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the settlement of the debt.
What you should know
Unpaid debts owed to contractors by the Federal Government have been a recurring issue, especially for capital projects executed under annual budgets.
In June 2025, the Federal Government said it was working to clear verified outstanding payments across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
- The Senate later extended the implementation period for the 2024 capital budget to December 31, 2025, partly to allow more time to settle capital obligations.
- Recall that Nairametrics, in January 2025, reported that the Federal Government faced cash flow challenges after the Central Bank of Nigeria declined requests for overdraft support.
In August 2025, Finance Minister Wale Edun said over N2 trillion in 2024 capital obligations had been settled. Contractors, however, say large sums remain unpaid.
The 2026 Appropriation Bill earmarked N100 billion for the settlement of debts owed to indigenous contractors under the item “Payment of Local Contractors’ Debts.”
