|By Adejumo Adekunle
More than 1,000 civil society organisations (CSOs) have rallied behind indigenous contractors protesting unpaid government debts, accusing the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, of obstructing efforts to clear verified obligations running into trillions of naira.
Operating under a broad-based coalition, the groups said the minister’s alleged inaction had stalled the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the prompt settlement of verified debts, warning that the delay could worsen Nigeria’s economic pressures.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the coalition said its stance followed weeks of engagement and mounting concern over what it described as a failure by the finance ministry to act on verified payment lists already submitted. The statement was signed by representatives of the National Vanguard for Accountable and Transparent Democracy (NVATD), Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Movement for Accountable and Good Governance (MAGGo), National Coalition for Peace, Unity and Progress (NCPUP), and the National Forum of APC Young Professionals (NFAYP), on behalf of other allied organisations.
The coalition described the continued non-payment of debts as “deliberate negligence,” alleging that it had directly triggered the renewed protests by indigenous contractors in Abuja. According to the groups, the situation amounts to economic sabotage capable of crippling the national economy if left unresolved.
“We warned repeatedly and appealed to the Honourable Minister of State for Finance to act. What is happening today could have been avoided. Sadly, due to persistent inaction, the country is now facing the consequences,” the statement said.
While commending the contractors for what it called their patience and patriotism despite prolonged hardship since 2024, the CSOs urged President Tinubu to urgently constitute a new presidential committee to take over the payment process from the finance ministry.
The groups alleged that the debt profile—estimated at over ₦4 trillion for completed and commissioned projects—had continued to rise due to selective payments and administrative bottlenecks. They accused the minister and her team of sidelining many eligible contractors despite repeated assurances that payments would commence once verified lists were submitted.
“The list of eligible contractors has long been provided and confirmed, yet payments remain stalled, aside from a few selective disbursements. This is unacceptable,” the coalition stated.
According to the CSOs, the prolonged delay has had devastating consequences for local contractors, many of whom financed government projects through bank loans. They claimed that several contractors had lost properties to banks, others had shut down operations, while some had suffered serious health challenges linked to financial stress.
The coalition also recalled earlier interventions by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and a presidential directive issued in December mandating the settlement of all verified debts, noting that both moves had yet to produce tangible results.
“This is not a funding problem. Funds exist. What we are witnessing is outright sabotage, and its consequences could be disastrous for the economy,” the statement warned, calling on Dr Uzoka-Anite to step aside in the interest of national stability.
Meanwhile, the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) resumed its protest in Abuja on Monday over the unpaid ₦4 trillion owed for capital projects captured in the 2024 budget. Speaking at the Ministry of Finance, AICAN President, Jackson Nwosu, said many contractors executed the projects using commercial bank loans, leaving them under severe financial strain.
He warned that the association could escalate its protest if the Federal Government failed to commence payments immediately.
