Photos: Contractors Shut Down Finance Ministry With Coffin in Fierce Push for N500bn Payment

Contractors under the All-Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria staged an intense demonstration in Abuja on Wednesday, sealing off the Federal Ministry of Finance with a symbolic coffin as they pressed for the settlement of more than N500 billion allegedly owed for completed projects.

They arrived at the complex early, barricading all access points while chanting and vowing not to leave until the government released the outstanding funds. The blockade triggered hours of gridlock across the Central Business District, leaving workers and visitors unable to enter or exit the ministry.

It was the second time in a month the contractors had shut down the ministry in pursuit of the same demand. The Ministry of Finance offered no public response, even as the protest escalated and the contractors pledged to maintain their occupation of the premises.

The association’s National Secretary, Babatunde Seun-Oyeniyi, said the action followed what he described as repeated unfulfilled commitments from government officials. He noted that several meetings had produced no tangible progress and that assurances given earlier in the year—after the National Assembly intervened—had not been honoured.

Oyeniyi told reporters that the ministry had become unresponsive after contractors suspended their earlier protest on the lawmakers’ request. He added that during their most recent discussion, the minister indicated that about N150 billion was available for payment to indigenous contractors, but no disbursement had followed.

He said contractors had sighted some payment warrants that were not backed by cash, leaving firms unable to meet financial obligations. According to him, the government owed more than N500 billion in total, and attempts to shift the payments into the 2026 fiscal year would worsen the hardships already faced by companies and workers.

The group also accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, of sending them back to the National Assembly despite previous interventions, a move they said deepened confusion and distrust.

Throughout the protest, contractors held placards highlighting the strain on indigenous businesses. Many said banks had stopped financing government-linked projects due to chronic payment delays, while others recounted cases of colleagues who died by suicide after falling into severe debt.

They argued that prolonged withholding of payments—despite inflation eroding the value of the contracts—had become unbearable and described the delays as economically damaging and exploitative.

Wednesday’s demonstration adds to a series of confrontations with government institutions. In November, the House of Representatives suspended plenary for a week after contractors occupied the National Assembly Complex to protest the non-release of funds appropriated for the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

Photos…..