The demonstration brought traffic to a halt around the ministry, restricting movement to a single lane. The contractors, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, demanded immediate settlement of what they describe as over N500 billion owed to indigenous contractors nationwide.
One of the placards read: “Don’t pay 2025 until you finish paying the 2024 budget that has been completed.”
Speaking to journalists, the General Secretary of the association, Mr. Babatunde Seun Oyeniyi, said the group would not back down until the government releases the long-overdue payments.
Oyeniyi recalled that the contractors had embarked on a three-day protest between November 4 and 6, which was suspended after the National Assembly intervened with assurances of resolving the matter.
“After the National Assembly intervened, they promised to engage the minister. That was why we suspended the protest,” he said.
He added that despite several follow-up meetings with the Minister of Finance, no concrete progress had been made. According to him, contractors were informed that about N150 billion would be released as part payment, but no funds have been disbursed.
“Some warrants have been issued, but there is no cash backing. When we compiled everything, the government is owing over N500 billion,” he explained.
Oyeniyi expressed fears that the government might shift the payments to the next fiscal year, thereby worsening the contractors’ financial burden.
“The problem is that they want to push us into a backlog. They want to shift us to 2026. We don’t want that. We won’t leave here until we are paid,” he insisted.
He further disclosed that the Minister of Finance has referred the contractors back to the National Assembly for further deliberation on the matter.
