The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has embarked on a large-scale retrenchment exercise, cutting about 800 jobs in a significant layoff in the power sector in recent years.
The exercise, which began on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, marks a major phase in the company’s ongoing internal restructuring.
AEDC, which supplies electricity to the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States, has been grappling with operational inefficiencies and revenue shortfalls.
According to sources, the management had initially planned to dismiss 1,800 employees before scaling the figure down to 800 following intense negotiations with the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).
A sample of the disengagement letter titled “Notification of Disengagement from Service” confirmed that the retrenchment was part of an “ongoing rightsizing process”.
The letter stated that the decision was made after careful consideration and in accordance with company policy, and that affected staff would be paid their due entitlements upon completion of an exit clearance process.
The layoffs highlight the worsening challenges in Nigeria’s electricity industry, where dwindling revenue, regulatory uncertainty, and infrastructure deficits have forced several distribution companies into restructuring or downsizing.
