The Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria (AICAN) has threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on November 3, 2025, over the federal government’s alleged failure to pay for projects completed in the 2024 fiscal year.
Speaking on Tuesday, October 28, in Abuja, AICAN national president Jackson Ifeanyi described the situation as a serious injustice against indigenous contractors who executed government-approved projects in good faith.
He stated that the government not only withheld funds for completed projects but also proceeded to commission some of them without clearing the outstanding payments.
Ifeanyi added that members of the association had trusted the government’s assurance of payment upon project completion but were frustrated by the persistent delays.
“Unfortunately, the government has failed to honour these contractual agreements. AICAN can no longer endure this unfair treatment, which has left our members heavily indebted and financially crippled,” he said.
He added that the protest would continue until the government fulfils its financial obligations, noting that members would publicly display their demands to draw attention to the issue.
He also advised members nationwide to refrain from taking part in any 2025 capital or recurrent projects unless mobilisation funds were released upfront.
“We shall continue to speak against the continuous denial of long-standing payments deliberately withheld by the government,” Ifeanyi stressed.
In his remarks, AICAN’s national general secretary, Babatunde Seun, appealed to president Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and ensure that indigenous contractors are paid without further delay.
Also, the national director of planning, research and strategy, Stanley Agboni, said the 2024 projects were legally executed and deserved legal and timely payment.
He urged the government to act swiftly, saying the association’s members were patriotic Nigerians committed to national development but were now facing severe economic strain.
“We are appealing to Mr President to intervene as a matter of urgency. Nigeria is our country, and we are doing everything possible to make it great,” Agboni said.
In June, the federal government announced plans to clear outstanding payments owed to contractors who have duly completed verified projects across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
A statement from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) stated, “The federal government has records of contracts executed by MDAs and is meticulous in the payment for these contracts to guarantee value for money spent.
“Efforts are underway to pay for contracts duly awarded and completed according to specifications.”
Also, the Nigerian senate approved a second extension of the implementation period for the 2024 capital component of the national budget, shifting the deadline from June 30, to December 31.
The federal government reportedly faced difficulties in redeeming maturing promissory notes and other debt obligations after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) denied requests for overdrafts.
In August, finance minister Wale Edun stated that the federal government had cleared over N2 trillion in outstanding capital budget obligations from the 2024 fiscal year, leaving no pending commitments unprocessed.
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