Indigenous contractors have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently order payment of over N500 billion owed for completed federal projects, warning that the prolonged delay has pushed many of their members into severe hardship, loss of property, illness and, in some cases, death.
For the second consecutive day, members of the Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria besieged the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, protesting what they described as unjustified non-payment for fully executed and commissioned 2024 federal government projects.
Speaking during the protest, the association’s president, Haruna Gabari, said the government has continued to publicise and take credit for the projects without honouring its payment obligations.
“We are protesting the contracts we executed on behalf of the Nigerian federal government — contracts commissioned and celebrated by the National Assembly. But so far, the federal government has not paid us,” he said.
Gabari called on President Tinubu to intervene directly by compelling the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to release the outstanding funds, accusing the finance ministry of incompetence and insensitivity.
“He has shown himself to be irresponsible in his duties and incapable of handling such an important position. When contractors are paid, the economy moves. But today, the economy is stagnant because nothing is moving,” he stated.
He lamented the worsening toll on contractors, saying many are hospitalized, heavily indebted, or dead due to the prolonged wait for payments.
“Some of our members are dying. Some are in the hospital. Some have lost their property. In response to our disaster, the minister told us people die every day — as though our lives do not matter,” he added.
The association further cautioned that continued inaction could lead to more economic and social instability.
Public Relations Officer, Rotimi Raheem, also expressed frustration that repeated protests and meetings have yielded no results.
“This is our third protest. We were at the National Assembly a month ago. The leadership met with the President and instructed the Minister of Finance to pay us. We submitted our list three weeks ago. Up till now, nothing has been done,” he said.
Raheem added that contractors camped overnight outside the ministry in a show of desperation, rejecting assurances that payments would come later in the month.
“We slept here through the night. A permanent secretary told us the payment would be made before month-end, but we told him we are not waiting for that,” he said.
He stressed that contractors have given the government a 48-hour window to release the funds, warning that patience is running out.
The association insists that withholding payments for completed projects undermines national economic growth, contractor survival and public trust, urging President Tinubu to act immediately to address the crisis.
