The contractors have repeatedly accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of owing them over ₦5.2 billion for public welfare projects they executed across the territory.
After more than two years of sustained protests, petitions and failed appeals, the long-running payment dispute between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Association of Indigenous Contractors of the FCT appears to be heading towards a resolution.
The contractors have repeatedly accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of owing them over ₦5.2 billion for public welfare projects they executed across the territory.
Despite several letters written to the FCT Minister and other authorities, the contractors said their appeals were ignored, forcing them to resort to peaceful protests, media engagements and petitions to the National Assembly.
They were on several occasions dispersed with tear gas by the police and also invited for questioning by the Department of State Services (DSS), yet the debt remained unpaid.
However, during another round of protests on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the main gate of the FCTA Secretariat along Kapital Road, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, a breakthrough was recorded.
The Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Iya, reportedly invited representatives of the protesting contractors into the Minister’s Office complex for an emergency meeting.
According to sources, the minister directed the contractors to nominate a four-man delegation for the parley, scheduled for about 3:00pm.
The contractors promptly complied, arriving at the meeting led by their chairman, Benson Ehuwa.
In what appeared to signal the seriousness of the engagement, the FCTA Permanent Secretary in charge of Treasury and Budget, Adamu Ibrahim Wanki, was also summoned to the meeting.
According to sources at the meeting, the contractors were informed that Wike, who initiated the dialogue, was willing to pay all verified contracts executed from 2023, when he assumed office as FCT Minister, to date.
“The contractors were consequently directed to submit their outstanding bills for processing, a directive they immediately complied with,” one of the contractors said.
Participants at the meeting described the discussions as frank and amicable, with both sides agreeing to reconvene in the coming days to conclude the settlement process.
Outside the FCTA Secretariat, news of the development spread quickly among the large crowd of protesting contractors, triggering scenes of jubilation mixed with cautious optimism, as many said they would only celebrate fully when payments hit their accounts.