There was tension at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday as protesting local contractors blocked the entrance to the complex, preventing the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, from gaining access.
The protesters, operating under the banner of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), sealed off the ministry’s gate over unpaid debts allegedly owed to them by the Federal Government.
When Uzoka-Anite arrived at the premises, security operatives attempted to force a passage for her into the building, but the move was fiercely resisted by the demonstrators.
Chanting in unison, the contractors shouted: “How many people government go kill ooo… how many people government go kill.”
The situation escalated into a brief scuffle, during which a gunshot was reportedly heard as security personnel tried to disperse the crowd.
The contractors accused the Federal Government of failing to pay for projects already executed and of withholding funds appropriated for such payments in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
This is not the first time the group has taken to the streets. Last year, the contractors staged multiple protests at the National Assembly Complex and the Ministry of Finance over the same issue.
In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu constituted a multi-ministerial committee to address the debt, estimated at about ₦1.5 trillion, owed to federal contractors.
Members of the committee include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa; and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji.
Meanwhile, a Senate committee has also summoned Edun to provide clarification on the delays in settling the outstanding payments.
