Dave Umahi minister of works
The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) on Monday resumed its protest in Abuja over an alleged N4 trillion debt owed to its members by the Federal Government for completed capital projects.
Speaking with journalists during the protest at the Ministry of Finance, AICAN President, Mr. Jackson Nwosu, warned that the association might be forced to take drastic action if the outstanding payments were not settled.
Nwosu said the funds used to execute the 2024 capital projects were largely sourced from commercial banks, placing contractors under severe financial pressure.
According to him, only about 40 per cent of the outstanding amount was paid after the association’s protest in December 2025, adding that members would not vacate the ministry’s premises until the balance was released.
“We are talking about over N4 trillion in unpaid capital projects executed for the Federal Government in 2024. These projects have been completed, yet contractors are still unpaid.
“Our next line of action is that if they do not kill us, the economy of this country will die,” he said.
Nwosu explained that many contractors had defaulted on bank loans, leading to the seizure of properties, while some members had reportedly died as a result of the financial strain.
“Most of our members borrowed from banks to execute these projects and are now unable to repay. Some banks have seized their properties, and some contractors have even died.
“We are ready for the worst, but we will continue to be law-abiding and peaceful in our protest until every contractor is paid,” he added.
He said the Federal Government had yet to fully implement agreements reached with the association, adding that AICAN had submitted a list of contractors who completed their projects without any payment so far.
Nwosu also quoted the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, as promising that warrants would be released once the list of eligible contractors was provided, but said no payment had followed the submission.
He further stated that members were yet to receive any payment alerts, in spite President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the settlement of the debt.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the association, Mr Ode Agada, appealed to the Federal Government to honour its agreement with the contractors.
Agada said indigenous contractors had contributed greatly to the country’s economic growth, describing their current treatment as unfortunate.
“We have contributed to the growth of the economy of this country. We are indigenous people who supported the government, yet we are being treated this way,” he said.
He added that although President Tinubu had directed that contractors be paid, relevant authorities had yet to act on the directive.
Agada also called on the international community to intervene, describing the contractors’ situation as dire since June 2025.
In a related development, the FCT Chairman of Indigenous Contractors, Mr. Adebola Benson, appealed to the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to clear outstanding payments owed to contractors in the territory.
Benson said many FCT contractors also relied on bank loans to execute projects and were now facing threats of arrest over unpaid debts.
As at the time of filing this report, representatives of the contractors were in a meeting with the Minister of State for Finance, Uzoka-Anite. (NAN)
