Indigenous contractors threaten protest at APC convention over debt backlog

The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) says its members may stage a protest at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja over delayed payments for government contracts.

Jackson Nwosu, national president of AICAN, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during a resumed protest by members of the association.

Nwosu said the association is demanding the immediate release of N150 billion within 48 hours as part of funds previously committed for verified federal projects.

He said the federal government has so far paid only N21 billion to members of the association.

“For AICAN members, the government has only paid N21 billion between this period in question; what is remaining to be paid is over N1 trillion, but what we are discussing as the immediate payment is N150 billion,” he said.

“Our immediate demand is for the payment to be made between now and the next two days.”

Nwosu said the delayed payments could affect contractors’ participation in the APC national convention.

Seun Babatunde, national secretary of AICAN, said many contractors are facing financial difficulties due to the outstanding debts.

Babatunde said the delays have affected business operations, loan repayments, and contractors’ ability to sustain projects, adding that the association is engaging officials of the federal ministry of finance to resolve the issue.

“What AICAN has received as an association of contractors is N21 billion as part of the list of payments finalised in December 2025,” he said.

“A lot of our members are dying as a result of the debt the federal government owes them.

“We lost a member to prostate cancer who has more than N100 million in this money owed to members. If the money the government owed members was paid, the prostate issue would have been operated on.”

Members of AICAN have staged several protests in Abuja over unpaid contracts executed in 2024 and 2025.

The 2026 appropriation bill included N1.7 trillion for verified contractors’ liabilities in 2024 and N100 billion for other local contractors’ debts.

Contractors said payments have been slower than expected despite the provisions, while government officials claimed that payments are subject to verification and compliance checks before funds are released.

In January, the ministry of finance confirmed that N152 billion had been disbursed for verified contracts.

Doris Uzoka-Anite, former minister of state for finance, said the verification process is necessary to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.

President Bola Tinubu had directed government officials to prioritise payments to indigenous contractors. (TheCable)