Residents of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and three neighbouring states may soon face a major electricity blackout as electricity workers have threatened to go on strike at any moment.
The workers, under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), issued a joint strike notice to the management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), which supplies power to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Nasarawa, and Kogi States.
The unions say the proposed strike is a result of the company’s failure to honour a previous agreement reached on November 27, 2024, when a similar strike action was suspended.
In two separate letters addressed to the Managing Director of AEDC and jointly signed by Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, NUEE’s Assistant General Secretary (Liaison), and Rosemary Odeh, SSAEAC’s Deputy General Secretary (Corporate Communications), the unions warned that the strike would begin anytime from the date of receipt of the notice without further warning.
The unions accused AEDC of failing to implement several critical labour-related agreements, despite the workers’ dedication and their achievement of generating N94 billion for the company in the last 90 days.
The letter read in part: “Recall that we reached an agreement with you on the 27th of November 2024, to suspend an industrial action following a trade dispute declared over lingering labour issues in the company.”
They listed unresolved grievances including:
– Non-remittance of pension deductions for 16 months
– Failure to implement the National Minimum Wage
– Lack of staff promotions and over 10 years of stagnation
– Non-confirmation of staff in acting positions
– Failure to convert ad-hoc staff to permanent roles
– Collapse of health services due to unpaid hospital bills
– Ten months of unpaid Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax
= Board interference in daily company operations
– Unpaid union dues and third-party deductions
– Non-payment of the 2024 productivity bonus
– Incomplete work on career progression and review of conditions of service
The workers expressed frustration that despite their sacrifices and continued service under difficult conditions, the management had failed to meet any of the agreed obligations.
“It is also worthy of note that we have significantly lost a huge number of members to death owing to pressure and precarious work conditions,” the letter stated.
The unions added that many workers have been operating without basic tools or materials, and some business districts under AEDC are no longer receiving funding, making operations difficult.
They warned that unless the issues are addressed immediately, the strike will resume and will be sustained until all their demands are met.
“All councils are hereby directed to commence full mobilisation across the AEDC franchise areas of Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and the FCT,” the unions said. “The struggle shall be sustained until victory is achieved, as a people united can never be defeated.”
This latest development threatens to plunge critical government institutions, businesses, and households into darkness in the affected regions.
Power supply in Nigeria has long been a source of concern, with frequent blackouts, unreliable distribution, and unresolved labour disputes plaguing the sector. The planned strike, if it goes ahead, will further strain an already fragile electricity system and compound the challenges faced by millions of Nigerians who depend on AEDC’s services.
Meanwhile, as of press time, the management of AEDC has not issued an official response to the strike notice.
Industry stakeholders have urged the federal government and the Ministry of Power to intervene quickly to prevent the strike from going ahead and to protect national economic interests.
The situation remains tense, with workers fully mobilised and ready to shut down electricity operations across the four affected states. Without urgent intervention, a widespread blackout may hit the nation’s capital and surrounding states in the coming days.
