Local contractors protesting delayed payments by the federal government have disputed claims by the minister of state for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, that N152 billion was disbursed to contractors nationwide within the week, insisting that their association received only N20 billion from the said payment.
Spokesman of the contractors, Rotimi Raheem, disclosed this during an interview with Leadership following a meeting with the minister on Thursday, where she reportedly admitted that government had made mistakes by allowing contractors' payments to remain outstanding for a long period.
According to Raheem, although the federal government announced that N152 billion had been released to contractors across the federation, only N20 billion reached members of his association, most of which were payments finalised as far back as last year but trapped on the government's payment "gateway" due to lack of funds.
He explained that the recent payment was not fresh settlement of debts but largely backlog payments already approved by December 31 and awaiting cash backing.
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Raheem further clarified that as of December, his association submitted a consolidated bill of about N150 billion owed to its members, out of which about N48 billion had earlier been paid, with an additional N20 billion released recently. He said this leaves about N80 billion still outstanding to members of the association, based on their submitted records.
The contractors also questioned the government's figure of N152 billion, stating that while the amount may have been paid nationwide, they could not independently verify the claim, as their members--who form a major part of the contractors pool --only received a fraction of the announced sum.
On the widely cited N4 billion figure, Raheem explained that it refers specifically to the unpaid portion of the 2024 budget for local contractors, noting that about two-thirds of the budgeted funds had been released, while one-third remains unpaid, fueling the ongoing agitation.
He accused the government of deliberately delaying payments in order to manage foreign exchange pressures, claiming officials believe releasing funds to local contractors could increase demand for dollars and weaken the naira.
He further alleged that while contractors' payments were delayed, major government projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road were being funded without difficulty.
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Raheem said contractors suspect their withheld funds may be redirected toward political activities ahead of elections.
However, he announced that protests have been temporarily suspended following assurances from the minister that the government's payment portal would be reopened within one week and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated the Ministry of Finance to settle all outstanding contractor payments on or before March 31, 2026.
He added that the minister of State for Finance has directed all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and the National Assembly to submit their contractors' bills to ensure comprehensive settlement and prevent further nationwide agitation.
Rahim said the association would monitor the government's actions closely, warning that failure to meet agreed milestones would trigger renewed protests.
