Construction Workers Urge Tinubu to Resolve FOCI–Works Ministry Dispute

The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CCESSA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the lingering dispute between the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) and the Federal Ministry of Works, warning the crisis could trigger further job losses and undermine Nigeria's infrastructure drive.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, CCESSA said prolonged disagreements over payments, contract funding and project execution were already threatening livelihoods across the construction value chain, with engineers, quantity surveyors, technicians, artisans, equipment operators and suppliers bearing the consequences.

The communiqué, signed by National President Engr. Dr Ayodeji Adeyemo and General Secretary Comrade Sunday James, called for a high-level tripartite mechanism involving the Federal Government, FOCI, relevant trade unions and professional associations. It said the mechanism should resolve outstanding contractual and payment issues, establish a transparent system for verifying and paying certified works, and review legitimate challenges arising from the rising cost of construction materials.

CCESSA said the construction industry should be treated as a strategic sector of the Nigerian economy because of its role in providing roads, bridges, housing, hospitals and schools, and warned that every construction job lost had a multiplier effect on dependants, landlords, transport operators and other businesses that rely on workers' incomes. It also urged the government to intensify the fight against insecurity, warning that construction activities could not thrive where workers and contractors were exposed to threats to their lives and property.