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Anthony Ufoh

The management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in its restructuring drive has announce a major shakeup in the staff structure of the organization in order to provide optimum service delivery to Abuja and environ.

The shakeup of the staff structure was made known to the public on November 7 2025 as the AEDC stated that this is a plan in its broader context to reposition the company and improve customer satisfaction.

The statement read, in part, “The Management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc hereby announces a restructuring exercise aimed at delivering improved services to our customers as well as enhanced operational efficiency and excellence.

 “As part of the transformation, we have promoted high-performing staff, released retiring employees and those performing below par, and put in motion the implementation of a robust employee development and customer management plan aimed at driving our customer-centric focus,” the statement said.

The retrenchment, which affects several employees across departments, comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with rising inflation, high living costs, and persistent power outages. The exercise follows months of internal audits and operational reviews at the utility firm, which supplies electricity to Abuja, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States.

The mass layoff at AEDC demonstrates the deepening crisis in Nigeria’s power sector, which continues to face low investment, weak infrastructure, and poor cost recovery despite over a decade of reforms.

Last year, AEDC’s operational licence narrowly escaped regulatory suspension following disputes over payment defaults and management changes, notably in 2021 and 2023. The company, now privately managed, has been under mounting pressure from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to improve service delivery and reduce energy losses.

In April, NERC penalised AEDC and seven other DisCos for failing to adhere to the monthly energy caps imposed on estimated billing for unmetered customers.

 NERC stated that the distribution companies violated the provisions of the Capping Order, which limits the amount DisCos can charge unmetered customers based on their average consumption in the same area. By breaching these caps, the DisCos billed customers amounts higher than allowed, thereby exploiting unmetered electricity consumers.

The Commission imposed a combined fine of over N628 million on the eight DisCos. In addition to the monetary penalties, NERC directed each company to provide credit adjustments to all affected customers by May 15, 2025.