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The Ministry of Finance has said it has paid N152 billion to contractors for verified projects, following protests by indigenous contractors over alleged unpaid obligations.
The ministry, in a statement on Thursday, said the payments were made after contracts passed through verification processes in line with existing laws and regulations to ensure accountability and protect public funds.
“This is to confirm that the Federal Ministry of Finance has paid N152 billion to contractors for verified contracts,” the statement said.
“The process of payment for contracts goes through various verification processes in line with extant laws and regulations to protect taxpayers’ money and ensure accountability and transparency.”
The ministry acknowledged that payment delays had caused financial strain for contractors but appealed for continued engagement and dialogue to resolve outstanding issues.
“While the Ministry acknowledges the financial strain the delay in payment has caused contractors, we also plead for continuous dialogue and engagement for effective resolution of all conflicts,” it said.
The ministry also urged contractors to respect its personnel, noting that staff had been subjected to intimidation and harassment during recent protests.
It assured contractors that outstanding payment requests would continue to be processed “in line with due process in a timely and consistent manner.”
The statement followed protests earlier in the week that disrupted activities at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
On Monday, contractors who were protesting blocked the complex’s entrance, preventing the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, from accessing the premises.
The demonstrators, operating under the banner of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, accused the government of failing to pay for completed projects.
They claimed that funds earmarked for contractor payments in the 2024 and 2025 budgets had not been released.
The association said the delays had left many contractors in financial distress.
Speaking during the protest, the association’s president, Jackson Nwosu, said the action was driven by mounting unpaid obligations, worsening cash flow conditions, and loan defaults.
“The government has failed to honour the agreement to pay contractors whose project details had been submitted and verified,” Nwosu said.
He added that payments finalised before the closure of the payment portal at the end of December had not reflected in contractors’ accounts, worsening the situation for members who borrowed funds to execute government projects.
