A group of lawyers demonstrated at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, calling on the Nigerian government to immediately settle an estimated ₦4 trillion in outstanding payments owed to contractors for completed capital projects.
The protest, highlighted growing frustration among legal professionals representing affected contractors or aligned with their cause.
Demonstrators demanded urgent action to clear the massive debt backlog, which they argue has severely impacted businesses, led to project abandonments, bank loan defaults, and economic hardship for many involved in federal infrastructure works.
The debt figure of approximately ₦4 trillion specifically relates to claims for projects executed in recent fiscal years, particularly 2024, as asserted by contractor associations like the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN).
While contractors themselves have led similar blockades and protests in recent weeks, including actions that temporarily prevented the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, from entering the ministry, the lawyers' involvement underscores broader professional and legal support for the contractors' grievances.
This demonstration follows repeated contractor-led actions, including a renewed protest in mid-January 2026 and earlier ones in late 2025. In response to prior agitations, President Bola Tinubu established a multi-ministerial committee in December 2025 to address contractor debts, initially estimated around ₦1.5 trillion at the time, though contractor groups have consistently claimed higher totals.
The Federal Government has made partial payments amid the outcry, including a confirmed disbursement of ₦152 billion for verified 2024 capital projects. Additionally, the 2026 budget includes provisions such as ₦1.7 trillion allocated for settling 2024 liabilities and ₦100 billion for other local contractors' debts and liabilities.
Despite these steps, protesters maintain that the releases fall far short of the full amounts owed, fueling continued demonstrations.The lawyers' protest emphasizes the urgency of resolving the issue to prevent further economic fallout, including asset seizures and business collapses tied to the unpaid contracts.
No immediate official response from the ministry was detailed in initial reports, but the action draws attention to ongoing tensions between contractors, their representatives, and the government over fiscal commitments for executed projects.
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