(Aisha Yesufu. Photo Credit: Blackbox Nigeria)
Socio-political activist Aisha Yesufu has called for the enactment of legislation that would require all tiers of government in Nigeria to settle contractors’ invoices within 30 days of project completion or service delivery.
The proposal was contained in a post shared on her official social media page, where she argued that prolonged payment delays to contractors have continued to undermine businesses, infrastructure development, and job creation across the country.
Yesufu suggested that any outstanding payment beyond the 30-day window should attract mandatory interest, calculated at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria Monetary Policy Rate plus an additional five per cent.
“There is a need for a strong, enforceable law to be enacted that compels every tier of government to pay contractors all due invoices within 30 days, with mandatory interest on any delayed payment,” she stated.
She argued that many contractors complete projects only to face prolonged delays in receiving payment a situation she said has driven several businesses into financial distress.
“Contractors will deliver on their work only for governments to delay payments for months or years, pushing many businesses into distress and liquidation,” Yesufu said.
According to her, the proposed legislation would also discourage the practice of governments using contractors as a form of unofficial credit.
“No more using contractors as unwilling bankers,” she added.
The activist further maintained that delayed contractor payments remain a significant obstacle to economic growth, infrastructure delivery, and employment generation in Nigeria.
