Tinubu Moves to Resolve Contractor Payment Delays

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted a high-level Ministerial Committee to address the growing backlog of unpaid funds owed to more than 2,000 federal contractors across ministries, departments, and agencies.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the President at the State House in Abuja.

According to Onanuga, the committee is mandated to verify contractor claims, reconcile existing records, and recommend sustainable financing mechanisms that will allow the federal government clear the debts without disrupting ongoing fiscal plans. The committee is made up of key officials including the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, the Director-General of the Budget Office, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Other members include the Minister of Works, Minister of Education, Minister of Housing, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, all of whom will collaborate to establish an accurate and comprehensive database of outstanding obligations.

“The President expressed very, very great displeasure about the fact that contractors are being owed money. He actually said he was upset. And then he set up a committee of about six ministers and said they should look into the problems of giving funds for paying those contractors,” Onanuga explained.

He noted that President Tinubu’s directive stems from concerns over irregularities in past payment processes, which have led to confusion, duplicated claims, and unresolved disputes between ministries and contractors. The new committee is expected to strengthen accountability and prevent future accumulation of debt.

READ ALSO: Tinubu: Youth Will Drive Nigeria’s Future Through Innovation and Skills

Onanuga emphasised that the President remains fully committed to sanitising the contractor-payment system by ensuring that verified contractors are paid promptly while blocking abuses and financial leakages.

“President Tinubu wants transparency, he wants order, and he wants the process cleaned up so that only genuine contractors with certified claims are paid,” he said.

The formation of the committee marks a renewed effort to restore confidence among contractors, many of whom have complained that delayed payments have stalled several key infrastructure and development projects nationwide.

The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the President in the coming weeks, setting the stage for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s contractor-financing framework.