The House of Representatives has directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, to provide a detailed breakdown of payments made to contractors from the N2.4 trillion recently released by the Federal Government for project execution across the country.
This followed confirmation from officials of the Office of the Accountant-General that disbursements totalling N2.4 trillion had been made to various contractors executing Federal Government projects.
Lawmakers, however, expressed concerns that such a massive disbursement must translate into visible and verifiable projects nationwide.
Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Budget Implementation, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, issued the directive following a high-level meeting with the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria held in Abuja yesterday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker also urged contractors to ensure that all executed projects are genuine and verifiable, warning against collecting payments for incomplete or non-existent work.
“Government is not paying for a piece of paper or a Certificate of Completion when jobs have not been properly done,” Kalu warned. “
It would be wicked to claim a hospital has been built when people are dying due to lack of access to healthcare,” he added.
The House’s directive came in response to protests by contractors over unpaid arrears, which led to the creation of a special committee that first convened on September 4, 2025.
According to the Office of the Accountant-General, about N160 billion in arrears remains unsettled, while an additional N760 billion has been approved by Finance Minister Wale Edun—bringing the government’s total commitment to around N3.1 trillion.
Kalu said the committee expects a verified report that reconciles government records with contractor complaints and has scheduled another review session for October 5, 2025, to assess compliance.
