By Kingston Magare 3.9.2025
Scores of local Nigerian contractors Wednesday blocked the main entrance to the Federal Ministry of Finance over debts owed them from execution of various government contracts projects.
The aggrieved contractors under the aegis of the Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, carried placards demanding immediate settlement of debts dating back to 2024.
The Minister of Finance Wale Edun and staff of the ministry were unable to gain access to their offices through the front gate; they have to smuggle themselves in through a back entrance.
Efforts by the permanent secretary of the ministry to address the demonstrators were rebuffed, as the contractors insisted on hearing directly from the minister.
The protest follows a similar demonstration in July, when local contractors decried delays in payment. The group blamed the continued situation on inefficiencies in the centralised payment system jointly operated by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Finance Ministry.
According to the protesters, the system has consistently failed to release funds on time, unlike previous arrangements where payments were processed directly by the ministry.
Contractors protesting unpaid fees.