Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele has held a high-level meeting with representatives of indigenous contractors to address a prolonged and damaging standoff over unpaid obligations for long-executed federal capital projects, pledging a transparent and structured resolution framework that balanced fiscal realities with the government’s legal and moral obligation to honour verified contractor claims.
The engagement, held at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja with representatives of the All-Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, came after a prolonged dispute with the previous finance minister over the government’s failure to pay for completed contracts had left thousands of businesses in distress and undermined confidence in the government’s contractual reliability.
Oyedele acknowledged the severity of concerns raised by the contractors, including the impact of delayed payments, contract variations, and ongoing fiscal reforms on their ability to sustain operations and deliver future projects. He stressed that resolving outstanding obligations was not merely a financial matter but a question of governance credibility, job preservation, and economic stability.
“Resolving these obligations is important not just for contractors, but for confidence in government, job creation, business continuity, and overall economic stability,” the minister stated, adding that the government recognised the critical role local contractors played in infrastructure development and was determined to resolve all outstanding issues within a framework of fiscal responsibility.
He assured stakeholders that the ministry was working closely with relevant institutions to reconcile outstanding claims and establish a clear and sustainable payment structure, while emphasizing that the process would be conducted with accountability and transparency.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and other senior officials. Contractor representatives commended the minister for initiating the dialogue and pledged continued cooperation with the government to ensure timely delivery of critical infrastructure projects.
