Local contractors in Abuja blocked the Finance Ministry and prevented the minister from entering, protesting large unpaid federal debts.
• AICAN contractors blocked the Finance Ministry entrance, preventing the minister from entering. • Contractors say large unpaid debts remain — figures reported vary widely between sources. • Government set up a December 2025 committee and proposed budget allocations, but payments remain slow.
Contractors: AICAN and local contractors present the action as a last resort to force payment for certified work, describing severe financial harm from delayed payments including loan defaults, asset seizures and even deaths among members. Government/official: Authorities have signalled responsiveness — a multi‑ministerial committee was established and budget proposals include allocations for contractors — but officials also face procedural constraints around certification, budget releases and disbursement timing. Analysts/editorial: Commentators view the budget allocations as a positive step but warn that structural problems (delayed budget releases, cash‑flow bottlenecks and procurement checks) must be fixed to ensure allocations translate into actual, timely payments.
On January 19, 2026, members of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, blocking the gate and preventing Minister of State Doris Uzoka-Anite from accessing the complex; a scuffle during the incident reportedly involved security personnel and a gunshot was heard. [1][2] The demonstrators say they are owed payment for completed projects and have accused the federal government of refusing to release budgeted funds for 2024/2025 projects; AICAN leaders resumed the protest citing as much as ₦4 trillion in unpaid capital-project debts and warned of possible escalation if payments are not made. [1][4] The incident follows earlier actions: President Bola Tinubu set up a multi-ministerial committee in December 2025 to address contractor debts, with that committee’s outstanding-payment figure reported at about ₦1.5 trillion, while other reporting and commentary show wide variation in estimates of what is owed (earlier reporting placed some contractor claims between ₦200–₦400 billion and budget proposals have sought to set aside ₦1.8 trillion for contractors). [1][3][4] Protest leaders say only about 40% of previously pledged amounts were paid after December 2025 demonstrations, and they report severe consequences for members, including loan defaults and asset seizures. [4] Editorial analysis published alongside reporting frames the problem as structural — delayed budget releases, cash-flow constraints and procurement bottlenecks — which may limit how quickly allocated funds are actually disbursed. [3] The episode underscores a continuing fiscal and governance challenge: persistent contractor-payment backlogs are producing public protests and political pressure even as the government signals willingness to address the issue through committees and budget proposals. Unless the structural causes highlighted by commentators — timely budget releases and procedural reforms in payment certification and disbursement — are addressed, similar stand-offs and economic strain on indigenous contractors are likely to recur. [3][1][4]
Controversy
Reported totals for the government’s unpaid contractor debt differ across outlets: Vanguard reports contractors claim about ₦4 trillion owed. [4] TheCable notes a December 2025 multi‑ministerial committee citing outstanding payments around ₦1.5 trillion. [1] Earlier reporting and commentary in The Nation cited lower estimates (between ₦200–₦400 billion as of June 2025) even as the 2026 budget proposed setting aside ₦1.8 trillion — a range that highlights disagreement over the scale of liabilities and which sums are certified or disputed. [3]