The Federal Government has announced that payments to local contractors will begin on Monday, following a high-level meeting led by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Finance Minister Wale Edun made the announcement in Abuja after a four-hour meeting organized by Kalu, which brought together over 80 contractors and top government officials, including the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi. The meeting aimed to resolve a prolonged impasse over unpaid debts.
In a statement, the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said the dialogue held under the House Special Committee on Budget Implementation successfully ended the contractors’ protests and established a structured plan for settling the outstanding payments.
Edun praised the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, noting that a timeline has been agreed upon for payment of verified claims.
“Under the leadership of Benjamin Kalu, we held a marathon meeting today where all the issues were discussed, and a way forward was mapped out. All parties left knowing that contractors would be paid for jobs done, and we now have an orderly and systematic way of dealing with the backlogs,” Edun said.
He confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will process payments immediately after the Friday public holiday.
Kalu, speaking after the meeting, said a mutually beneficial resolution had been reached and thanked the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abass, and other lawmakers for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the talks.
“We saw the protest and asked the contractors to come so we could have a conversation,” he said. “After over four hours of engagement, they left here smiling. A strategy has been put in place, and we will reconvene on September 21 to review the progress and ensure all commitments are being met.”
The Accountant-General of the Federation also confirmed the development, assuring contractors that “from Monday, payments will start dropping.”
