A group of aggrieved contractors under the aegis of Concerned Local Contractors staged a peaceful protest in Abuja on Monday, accusing the Federal Government of Nigeria of failing to settle outstanding payments for projects executed since the beginning of the year.
The protest, held at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance, saw the contractors expressing deep frustration over what they described as prolonged indebtedness that is inflicting economic hardship on them and their families.
Armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “We delivered our projects, now pay us money” and “Central payment system by OAGF and FMF has failed woefully. Revert back to the former system,” the
contractors warned that continued delay in payment could push many of them into desperate situations, especially given the prevailing economic and security challenges in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Desmond Ibe, the group’s spokesperson, lamented that none of their members had received payments since January 2025.
He described the situation as dire, noting that the current central payment system, coordinated by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance, was ineffective and slow.
“We’re calling on Mr President to please help us talk to these people to pay us our money. It has been too long — about six months now and still counting — and we have been expecting payments,” Ibe pleaded.
He further claimed that the 2025 budget implementation stood at only 35 per cent, largely because contractors who had completed their assignments were yet to be paid.
Ibe urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and ensure immediate payment.
“We urge the president to quickly intervene so that our money can be paid. Also, we call on the president to grant the Ministry of Finance the autonomy to process contractor payments to speed up the process.
“It has been too long — about six months now and still counting — and we have been expecting payments,” he said.
