Claims that its members had received ₦152 billion from the Federal Government have been denied by the All-Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, which characterises the claim as false, deceptive, and purposefully designed to deceive Nigerians.

The claim, according to the association, seriously jeopardises ongoing efforts at reconciliation between contractors and the government and undermines trust in the payment process at a time when indigenous contractors are facing difficulties with liquidity, growing operating expenses, and stalled projects across the country.

Tensions among indigenous contractors over unpaid government commitments estimated at over ₦4 trillion have reportedly continued to escalate, according to Vanguard. This has led to multiple protests demanding the settlement of recognised projects nationwide..

Despite these unresolved liabilities, recent claims emerged suggesting that ₦152 billion had been paid to members of the All-Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, a development the association firmly denied.

AICAN clarified that only ₦61 billion has been received so far, while the bulk of approved payments remains outstanding due to administrative bottlenecks, delays in approvals and unsigned warrants.

The association further stated that the only verified payment made recently was ₦21 billion, which was finalised on December 31, 2025, and eventually disbursed on January 21, 2026.

“AICAN wishes to inform the general public and set the record straight regarding the false and misleading information recently released by the Honourable Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, and promoted by a blogger known as Dee-One.”

“The claim that the Honourable Minister has paid ₦152 billion to AICAN members is completely false and misleading. Even if, for the sake of argument, such an amount had been paid (which it has not), would it be considered an achievement out of over ₦4 trillion owed by the Federal Government to contractors nationwide?” the association queried.

Oyeniyi revealed that ₦150 billion was granted during a meeting with Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance, on December 3, 2025, expressly to clear unpaid project payments from 2024. However, the approval's implementation has been inconsistent and sluggish.

He disclosed that out of the 786 companies that applied for batch payments, 611 were approved and paid a total of ₦61.5 billion, while 175 companies had not yet received payment because of continuing reviews, delays in approval, and problems with documentation.

According to the announcement, just 611 enterprises have received ₦61 billion since December 2025.

"The assertion that AICAN has received ₦152 billion is untrue, misleading, and meant to deceive Nigerians," Oyeniyi continued.

The organisation revealed that 938 enterprises filed claims for unbatch payments totalling over ₦53 billion. However, the payment process has halted because the Minister of State for Finance has not approved the necessary warrants.

AICAN cautioned that the financial burden on indigenous contractors may intensify if all authorised payments are not fully released and outstanding warrants are not swiftly signed. This could have detrimental effects on project completion, job retention, and stability throughout the construction value chain.