Contractors Block Finance Ministry Over Unpaid Government Fees

Local contractors under the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) besieged the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday, escalating protests over unpaid contractual fees. The demonstrators attempted to prevent the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, from entering the ministry, chanting angrily and demanding settlement of government debts.

The protest began near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs around 10 a.m. and moved to the finance ministry’s central gate, where contractors blocked access. Security personnel fired gunshots into the air to disperse the crowd as efforts to allow the minister entry were met with resistance.

The demonstrations follow months of unpaid fees for executed and commissioned projects. In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu established a multi-ministerial committee to address about N1.5 trillion owed to federal contractors, while a Senate panel also sought explanations from the Minister of Finance over delayed payments. Protests by contractors have continued since last year, targeting both the finance ministry and the National Assembly.

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