ABUJA, NIGERIA — Hundreds of local contractors in Nigeria have staged a protest at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, demanding the payment of approximately N4 trillion (nearly $4 billion) for capital projects they completed in 2024. The contractors, under the umbrella of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, blocked the entrance to the ministry, preventing staff and even the Minister’s convoy from entering the building.
The protest, which took place on Wednesday, was sparked by what the contractors describe as a series of broken promises from government officials. According to Babatunde Seun, the association’s secretary, both the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had previously assured them that payments would be made promptly.
“We had a meeting with the Accountant General of the Federation, and he promised us that all finalised payments will drop into the beneficiaries’ accounts within 48 hours,” Seun told reporters at the scene. He claimed that despite this assurance, only five of the association’s 5,000 members had received any money.
Seun alleged a pattern of deception, stating that the government had been paying them in small, irregular amounts and that financial warrants had been released without the necessary cash backing. He expressed the dire situation of his members, many of whom have fallen into debt and are struggling to provide for their families, including paying school fees.
“We have run out of business. We’ve run out of cash. We’ve run out of everything,” he said. “We can’t take it anymore.”
The protesters, some holding placards decrying their plight, have vowed to continue their demonstration until all their members are paid. “Until they pay every one of our members, we will not leave the streets,” Seun declared.
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