The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) made a fresh, urgent appeal on Saturday, September 5, 2026, to the Federal Government to immediately settle all outstanding debts owed for completed infrastructure projects.
The association renewed its call in Abuja during the solemn funeral service for one of its prominent members, Alhaji Mohammed Inusa, who passed away following a three-month battle with a spinal tumour.
Speakers at the event highlighted the human cost of delayed government payments, attributing Inusa’s death to an inability to fund critical medical surgery while the government withheld over ₦1 billion owed to him for executed multi-billion-naira contracts.
Speaking to newsmen following the internment at 10:00 AM in Abuja, Jackson Nwosu, National President of AICAN, expressed deep sorrow over the recurring loss of members due to severe financial distress:
”We are here today to bury one of our dedicated members who fought for his life for three months. He executed valid contracts worth billions of naira, yet over ₦1 billion due to him remained unpaid. Had even a fraction of his legitimate earnings been released on time, he could have comfortably afforded the critical surgery that might have saved his life. We urge the Federal Government to prioritize verified debts owed to local contractors to prevent further loss of life.”
Nwosu also raised concerns over the disparity between indigenous and foreign contractors, questioning why foreign entities often receive prompt financing while local contractors face bankruptcy, property seizures by banks, and medical neglect despite fully delivering on their contracts.
Echoing these concerns, Rotimi Raheem, National Publicity Secretary of AICAN, detailed the systemic financial pressure faced by members across the country:
”This is not an isolated case; we have lost multiple members across Nigeria under similar circumstances. Our association tried to raise emergency funds for Alhaji Inusa’s treatment two weeks ago, but many of our members are themselves severely distressed because their completed projects, some dating back over two years, have been left without cash backing.”
The late contractor’s son, Nuhu Inusa, expressed the family’s frustration over failed attempts to obtain help through official channels:
”My father worked tirelessly to build infrastructure for this country. We made desperate appeals to the relevant ministries and representatives to release even a portion of his verified payments for his treatment, but received no response. While life is ultimately in God’s hands, receiving his earned money on time would have given him a fighting chance.”
The Ministry of Finance maintains that it is actively working to address outstanding liabilities. Earlier efforts saw the approval of disbursements totaling over ₦700 billion across 1,240 verified small-to-medium contractors.
However, AICAN leaders maintain that total outstanding liabilities across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) still exceed ₦1 trillion, urging the administration to accelerate actual cash disbursements to local contractors rather than issuing unbacked payment warrants.
