The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) has announced plans to protest at the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja over delayed payments for government contracts.

Jackson Nwosu, AICAN’s national president, said on Tuesday at a resumed protest in Abuja that the association is demanding the immediate release of N150 billion within 48 hours, as part of funds previously committed for verified federal projects.

He added that the government has so far paid only N21 billion, leaving a substantial balance.

“For AICAN members, the government has only paid N21 billion between this period in question; what is remaining to be paid is over N1 trillion, but what we are discussing as the immediate payment we need is N150 billion.

“Our immediate demand is for the payment to be made between now and the next two days,” Mr Nwosu said. 

Mr Nwosu said delayed payments could affect contractor participation at the APC convention.

Earlier, Seun Babatunde, AICAN’s national secretary, said members are concerned about payment delays affecting business operations, loan repayments, and the ability to sustain projects.

He noted that the association is engaging officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance to resolve the matter.

“What AICAN has received as an association of contractors is N21 billion as part of the list of payments finalised in December 2025. 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 has more than 100 million in this money owed to members. If the money the government owed members were paid, the prostate issue would have been operated on,” Mr Babatunde said. 

AICAN contractors have staged regular protests in Abuja over unpaid contracts executed in 2024 and 2025.

The 2026 Appropriation Bill included N1.7 trillion for verified 2024 contractor liabilities and N100 billion for other local contractor debts to address outstanding payments.

Despite these provisions, contractors say disbursements have been slower than expected.

Government officials emphasised that payments are subject to verification and compliance checks before release.

In January 2026, the Ministry of Finance confirmed N152 billion had been disbursed for verified contracts.

Doris Uzoka‑Anite, former Minister of State for Finance, said the verification process ensures accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.

President Bola Tinubu has directed officials to prioritise payments to Indigenous Contractors, but the association says some payments are still delayed. 

(NAN)