The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has announced a major restructuring and retrenchment exercise across its coverage areas.
In a statement released by the company’s management on Friday, November 7, 2025, AEDC said the exercise is part of a broader transformation strategy designed to reposition the utility provider for improved customer satisfaction and sustainable growth.
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.
Customers voice concerns
In Abuja and surrounding states, consumers have continued to voice frustrations over frequent blackouts, inflated bills, and poor customer response systems, issues that AEDC’s new management has pledged to address under the ongoing reform plan.
Gabriel Adeleke, an Abuja resident, said, “AEDC Business Area Units (BAUs) still operate like the old PHCN. Apart from their central customer service centre, the employees in the Business Areas lack good customer relations ethics.”
Other customers have echoed similar sentiments, alleging that complaints lodged through official channels are rarely addressed promptly, forcing many to resort to social media or in-person visits to AEDC offices to get attention.
“You can spend days trying to get a faulty meter fixed or request a reconnection after payment,” said Halima Yusuf, a small business owner in Lugbe. “It’s exhausting and affects us because we depend on electricity for our work.”
Victor Irabor, a resident of the Mararaba area, also shared his experience. He said, “I spent more than three months getting my pre-paid meter from AEDC. It’s during the hot season in 2022, and I can never forget it. I had to settle some staff about N50,000 for me to get it.”
Power sector analysts also note that AEDC’s restructuring reflects a broader trend of workforce rationalization across DisCos, as companies struggle to balance operational costs with regulatory and consumer expectations in a challenging macroeconomic environment.
Despite the controversy surrounding the layoffs, AEDC insists that the reforms are necessary to ensure long-term sustainability and to position the company for a future where efficiency, accountability, and customer satisfaction are the cornerstones of its operations.
What you should know
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.
