The Federal Government has officially supported payments to more than 1,240 contractors across various ministries, departments, and agencies to resolve verified outstanding obligations.

The Ministry of Finance shared an update on Monday, revealing that, after a thorough verification and reconciliation process, it has validated the claims submitted by contractors.

According to a statement signed by Mary-Ann Duke, the senior special assistant on communication and press secretary to the minister of finance, contractors with verified claims of N100 million or less were prioritised in the latest disbursement round.

This move comes after months of growing concern over unpaid government contracts.

In January, frustrated contractors staged a protest at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, blocking access to the then Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, as they demanded prompt settlement of their outstanding debts. The protest has also drawn the legislature’s attention. Last July, the Senate constituted a committee to engage the finance ministry and other relevant agencies on the backlog of debts owed to contractors by the Nigerian Government.

The payments announced on Monday could bring swift relief to businesses, especially indigenous firms and small to medium-sized enterprises that have faced months of delayed payments from the government.

This initiative promises to offer immediate liquidity support nationwide, reaffirming the Federal Government’s dedication to fulfilling its financial commitments, the statement emphasised.

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Additionally, the ministry highlighted that these disbursements will enable affected contractors to return to project sites, pay their workers, and settle with suppliers.

In recent months, the government has verified and processed over N700 billion in owed obligations to local contractors, with about N436.6 billion settled in May alone.

Prioritising smaller contractors aims to extend these benefits across various sectors and regions, helping businesses stay operational and safeguarding jobs.

The ministry expressed optimism that these payments will restore confidence among contractors, suppliers, and other service providers working with the government.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has sparked online debate after stating that truly unlimited data plans do not exist anywhere in the world unless customers are paying extremely high prices.

Toriola made the remark while speaking at a recent event, where he addressed concerns about data pricing and network capacity in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

According to him, unlimited mobile data offerings are largely unsustainable due to infrastructure limitations.

“The issue of unlimited data on mobile networks: it doesn’t exist anywhere in the world except if you’re paying a fortune. There’s a limit because you can never build enough capacity for everyone to be on an unlimited bundle, and you think you’ll provide a quality of service that is decent,” he said.

However, his comment has triggered widespread reactions, particularly from Nigerians living abroad, who disagreed with the claim and shared screenshots of their own mobile subscriptions.

Some users in countries such as the United Kingdom argued that they pay for unlimited data plans at relatively low monthly rates, often equivalent to a few hours of minimum wage work, challenging the CEO’s assertion.

The debate has since gained traction on social media, with users comparing global telecom pricing models and questioning the affordability and structure of data services in Nigeria.