Abuja Disco To Disconnect Barracks, 84 MDAs Over N47.1bn Debt

Due to a cumulative debt of N47.1 billion, the Abuja energy Distribution PLC has threatened to cut off the energy supply to 86 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

The Ministry of Finance, Information, Budget, Works and Housing, Presidential Villa, Nigeria Police Force, barracks, CBN Governor, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), State Liaison Offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are a few of the MDAs.

The disco gave the MDAs ten days to comply and pay off their obligations in a disconnection notice on Monday, failing which they risked a blackout starting on February 28, 2024.
Because our previous attempts to force them to honour their obligations have not produced the desired results, the notice stated that "The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC is constrained to do this publication with the details of Government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies with long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply."

The relevant MDAs are now notified that the AEDC will begin to disconnect our services to them on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, after 10 days have passed since the date of this publication, provided they have paid their bills and fulfilled their responsibilities to us.
The Nigerian power generation industry has been plagued by debt for many years. Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, stated last week that electricity distribution businesses (DisCos) have to stand up or face having their licences revoked.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had repeatedly revoked the operating licences of DisCos due to debts totaling billions of naira. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had revealed plans to sell off the remaining forty percent shares of the Federal Government in the DisCos in 2024.

Due to purportedly subpar performance and a liquidity crisis, the Federal Government, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), and a few banks have taken control of several discos throughout time.