FG fixes December 20 as deadline to pay off contractors’ debts

The Federal Government has moved to calm rising tensions among road contractors, assuring that all outstanding payments will be cleared before December 20, 2025.

This commitment comes after days of protests by contractors over unpaid debts and stalled project funding that have slowed down work across various construction sites nationwide.

Speaking on Thursday, Minister of Works David Umahi announced the reopening of the newly repaired Keffi Flyover in Nasarawa State. He explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had acknowledged the backlog of payments and approved the creation of a special committee to verify all claims and ensure contractors are duly paid.

Contractors handling federal road projects had, in recent days, staged demonstrations at the Ministry of Finance under the banner of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, alleging prolonged non-payment for completed and ongoing works. The group, which claims the government owes contractors about N4 trillion, is specifically demanding the release of N760 billion reportedly promised by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, in September.

In a symbolic act highlighting their frustration, the contractors placed a coffin at the ministry’s entrance, claiming it represented the hardship and deaths some members had suffered due to delayed payments.

Umahi, however, urged the contractors to halt their protests, insisting that President Tinubu had ordered that all verified debts be settled within days.

“Mr President has recognised that you have been owed and is setting up a committee to review all the debts,” he said. “Please, there should be no more protests. You will be paid. Before the 20th of December, you’ll be paid.”

He acknowledged that some contractors on the Maraba–Keffi corridor, including China Harbour Engineering Company, were among those yet to be paid but assured that they would be captured in the forthcoming disbursement.

In a rare move aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability, the minister disclosed that the ministry had invited the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to audit all ongoing and completed federal road projects across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“I wrote to ICPC and submitted all the projects of Mr President and the Ministry of Works from the day I assumed office. We asked them to go through all the states and verify those projects. This is the first of its kind,” Umahi said, adding that the same documentation had been forwarded to the EFCC.

He further revealed plans to introduce an online platform for real-time monitoring of federal road projects, enabling citizens to track progress and report concerns.

At the reopening of the Keffi Flyover—which collapsed on 4 July after a truck conveying an excavator damaged its structural components—Umahi commended President Tinubu for approving emergency repair funds within 24 hours of being briefed.

“Within 24 hours of briefing him, Mr President released the money for this bridge. It’s unprecedented,” he said.

The rebuilt structure, a critical link between Abuja and Nasarawa, underwent extensive repairs including reconstruction of the beam, parapet, and walkway, along with installation of a new gantry crash-prevention barrier. Technical officials confirmed that the bridge had passed safety tests, noting that the new protection systems had already stopped attempted truck collisions.

Responding to recent public criticism of the pace of work on the Abuja–Kano Road, Umahi described the concerns as unfair. He said the original design was flawed and required modification to include full concrete shoulders. According to him, more than 44 kilometres of the route have now been completed under existing funding.

He noted that sections one and three currently have about eight kilometres of completed concrete pavement, while a solar-lit 12-kilometre stretch around Kano is nearing completion.

Reiterating the ministry’s commitment to quality and transparency, Umahi said the adoption of concrete pavement technology, stricter monitoring, and upcoming tolling reforms would ensure durable roads and improved cost efficiency. He added that the government was enforcing a rigorous defect-liability regime, maintaining a 2.5 per cent retention fee until contractors fully comply with project standards.