By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the federal government over unpaid contracts, warning that its members may stage a protest at the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja.
AICAN President Jackson Nwosu issued the warning on Tuesday during a protest by the association’s members in the capital. He demanded the immediate release of N150 billion within two days, describing it as a portion of the verified debt owed to members for federal projects.
Nwosu stated that the government has so far disbursed only N21 billion to its members, leaving a remaining liability exceeding N1 trillion. “Our immediate demand is for the payment to be made between now and the next two days,” he said, adding that the prolonged delays could affect contractors’ participation in the party’s convention.
The association’s National Secretary, Seun Babatunde, highlighted the severe impact of the outstanding debts, citing financial distress, disrupted business operations, and stalled loan repayments among members.
He also linked the non-payment to a member’s death. “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 had more than N100 million in this money owed,” Babatunde said. He argued that timely payment would have enabled the member to afford necessary surgery.
AICAN members have held several protests in recent months over contracts executed in 2024 and 2025. While the 2026 appropriation bill included N1.7 trillion for verified contractor liabilities and N100 billion for other local contractor debts, members say payments have been slow to materialize.
Government officials have maintained that payments are subject to verification and compliance checks to ensure accountability. In January, the Ministry of Finance confirmed it had disbursed N152 billion for verified contracts. Former Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, stated that the verification process is essential for transparency in public spending.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive prioritizing payments to indigenous contractors, AICAN leaders said the pace of disbursement has not matched the level of need, leaving many members in financial distress.
