Indigenous contractors across Nigeria blocked the main entrance to the National Assembly for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, lamenting the failure of the Federal Government to pay them for projects executed since 2024. The contractors, operating under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), forced lawmakers, staff, and visitors to seek alternate and longer routes to access the National Assembly Complex, significantly disrupting legislative activities.
The protesters insisted they would remain on the streets until their debts were fully paid, accusing the government of neglecting them while allegedly settling the accounts of selected projects and foreign firms. Jackson Ifeanyi Nwosu, the National President of AICAN, stated that the prolonged non-payment by the government for capital projects executed since 2024 has been “unfortunate.” He confirmed that despite numerous promises of payment over months, “it’s been promises and failure, promises and failure. We can’t continue like this. We can’t feed our families anymore.”
Mr Nwosu noted that their members, exceeding 10,000, executed several infrastructure projects across the country, including schools, road networks, boreholes, and ICT centres. He said that although Minister of Finance Wale Edun had confirmed the government owes contractors about N2 trillion, no substantial payment has been made to indigenous firms. He lamented the devastating effect on his members, many of whom were once employers of labour but are now “reduced to beggars” and unable to feed their families or transport themselves.
Another contractor, Engineer John Olateru, revealed that the delay has crippled his business and pushed many members into severe debt, often incurring 10 per cent monthly interest on borrowed funds used to execute contracts awarded without mobilisation funds. He gave a personal account of completing a road for NDDC in 2018 and renovating King’s College in Lagos and a road at Federal Government College, Ogbomosho, in 2025, but confirmed that for the 2024 capital projects, “not one kobo has been paid.” He accused the government of a double standard, alleging that foreign companies and politically connected firms are being paid while indigenous contractors suffer.
Contractors reported that several high-level meetings had been held, including with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Minister of Finance, and the Accountant-General, where assurances were given that a warrant of N760 billion had been issued for payment. However, Mr Nwosu stressed: “As we speak, that warrant has not been cash-backed.” The General Secretary of AICAN, Babatunde Seun, confirmed that their patience was exhausted and that they would remain on the streets until payment is made, asking how the government intends to run the 2025 budget if the 2024 projects remain unfunded.
The protest caused significant disruption, leading to the temporary suspension of plenary in the House of Representatives. A contractor, Mrs. Ngozi Obiekwe, shared her personal struggles, saying she borrowed money for her project and that her heart jumps when her phone rings, fearing creditors. She recounted how a colleague lost his house and became a tenant due to the loans, asserting, “We have never had it this bad before.” The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s office, despite earlier assurances by Minister Edun in September that payments would begin, failed to provide a timely response to enquiries regarding the outstanding debts.
