- Kaduna residents face widespread disruption due to a blackout caused by KEDC staff striking over mass layoffs and unpaid pensions.
- KEDC workers demand better conditions, including promotions, proper tools, and the 2024 National Minimum Wage implementation.
- The public urges swift action as businesses suffer and daily life in Kaduna grinds to a halt amidst the ongoing power outage.
Residents of Kaduna State express frustration over the statewide blackout caused by the ongoing strike by staff of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC). The strike, which began at midnight on Sunday, disrupts daily life and halts economic activities across the state.
Small businesses, in particular, suffer from the blackout. “The blackout has greatly impacted my business,” says Mrs Gladys Akpo, a shop owner in Chikun Local Government Area. She urges the government and KEDC management to resolve the issue swiftly.
KEDC staff initiated the strike to protest management’s alleged plan to sack over 900 employees. They also demand unpaid pensions for retirees, proper work tools, promotions for eligible staff, and the 2024 National Minimum Wage implementation.
Striking workers block KEDC headquarters, preventing access to other employees and customers and effectively halting operations.
Sheyin Wakili, Chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) Kaduna State Council, condemns the proposed mass sackings. He calls the management’s decision “unacceptable” and vows the union to resist it.
“The management terminated 10 senior staff without following due process. Despite our previous agreements, the company refuses to act. Now, they want to dismiss over 900 more employees. We won’t allow this,” Wakili states.
KEDC’s Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, issued a letter on January 31, 2025, instructing affected workers to hand over company property. He explained that the company no longer requires their services and promised to pay for severance packages soon.
Striking workers accuse KEDC management of ignoring industrial agreements and failing to pay exit benefits to staff who retired or resigned within the past five years.
Residents in Kaduna struggle with the impact of the blackout. Many businesses have closed, and daily activities have slowed significantly—the public calls for urgent intervention to resolve the conflict and restore electricity to the state.