KEDCO

By Maryam Shehu

Electricity remains one of the most essential public utilities in Nigeria–central to daily life, small-scale enterprises, and family survival. Yet for residents of Tudun Jukun, Madaci and other communities in Zaria, power has become a source of deepening hardship rather than progress.

For nearly three weeks, Tudun Jukun and several neighbouring communities have been plunged into a persistent blackout, with no meaningful announcement from the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) or any government authority. The outage comes on the heels of a controversial and devastating spike in electricity bills that many residents say they were never consulted about and cannot afford.

In October, KEDCO reportedly reclassified the community into Band A, one of the highest electricity tariff categories, despite Tudun Jukun’s socio-economic reality. The community, home to more than 2,000 households, has less than 40 per cent of residents considered middle class, while the majority struggle daily with food insecurity, unstable income, and rising costs of living. Many parents rely on public schools, yet still struggle to provide basic learning materials for their children.

Residents say KEDCO claimed to have engaged community elites before implementing the Band A classification. Shortly after, households were issued bills of ₦10,000—already burdensome for a community where many live below the poverty line.

The situation worsened dramatically in early November, and households received bills as high as ₦115,000, and in some houses, even higher. With residents unable to pay, the community was soon thrown into darkness. Since November 20, 2025, Tudun Jukun has remained without electricity, despite petitions and repeated attempts by concerned people to seek redress.

The power cut has devastated small and micro-businesses that rely on electricity to function. Welders, tailors, food vendors, shop owners, and artisans have seen their livelihoods crumble.

“My father is old and serves as a Ladan at a nearby mosque, so my family depends on me for everything,” said Ibrahim, a local welder. “I tried carrying my machines to Hayin Usama, where they had light, but now they also haven’t had power for two days. My clients are collecting their materials without waiting, and things are completely ruined for me.”

Women-led household businesses are also affected. “I used to make ₦3,000 to ₦5,000 daily from soyamilk and zobo,” said Hadiza, a mother and small-scale producer. “That money supported my household, but since the first week of this outage, I’ve had to learn how to survive without income.”

Across the community, youths, artisans, and family breadwinners now face worsening poverty, prolonged idleness, and rising frustration as no tangible explanation or action has been offered by authorities.

Residents are calling on KEDCO, the local government, and all responsible bodies to urgently address the issue. They argue that the prolonged outage and unexplained tariff hikes undermine their rights to dignity and economic participation as protected under Sections 14(2)(b) and 17(3)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which obligate the government to ensure the welfare of citizens and provide adequate facilities for their livelihood. They also reference the regulatory duties of electricity distribution companies under the Nigerian Electricity Act and NERC guidelines, which require fair billing, transparency, and continuous service except in cases of officially communicated faults or approved maintenance.

Residents are demanding a transparent review of the billing process, a resolution to the petitions already submitted, and direct engagement with the community’s leaders. They insist that electricity must be restored immediately, alongside compensation or remedial measures for what they describe as an unjust disruption of their rights and livelihoods.

Until then, Tudun Jukun remains in darkness, both literally and economically.

Maryam Shehu writes from Zaria and can be reached at maryamshehu6354@gmail.com.

 By Uzair Adam Imam

Sadiq Zubairu, previously employed by the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), has admitted to the murder of his colleague, Bello Bukar Adamu, over an unresolved debt of N3 million. 

Adamu, a resident of Kano, went missing after allegedly receiving an urgent call from Zubairu. Two days later, Adamu’s body was discovered in Kumbotso Local Government Area.  

According to Abdullahi Abubakar, Adamu’s brother, Adamu had high hopes of securing a job offer with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and had entrusted Zubairu to facilitate the opportunity.

However, upon receiving the call from Zubairu, Adamu vanished. Police spokesperson Abdullahi Kiyawa confirmed Zubairu’s arrest and the ongoing investigation into the matter.

Zubairu reportedly confessed to conspiring with two others to lure Adamu to his house, where they fatally assaulted him and disposed of his body. 

Zubairu claimed the dispute arose from his inability to repay the N3 million debt he owed Adamu, which was taken under false pretenses of securing a job offer. 

The Daily Reality learned that hundreds gathered for Adamu’s burial, mourning the loss of a trusted colleague.  

Sani Bala, KEDCO’s spokesperson, expressed shock at the incident, stating that it was a personal matter unrelated to the company.

He clarified that Zubairu was no longer an employee at the time of the incident.

As FG is set to reverse the sale of DISCOs and GENCOs, it shows the highest form of corruption and mismanagement that continue to pester in their management. Go to their offices and see mismanagement and corruption personified, poor customer services and daylight bribery, before a meter is issued to a customer and so on.

There are 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria. Majority of them violated the agreement they entered with FG. There are over 20 electricity generating companies in Nigeria today but the top six GenCos providing the country with electricity are Egbin Power Limited, Transcorp Power, Shiroro, Kainji/Jebba, Sapele and Geregu. They have also failed to inject money into power generation and are begging government for funds.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against privatisation of NEPA, but I am certainly not happy with the hurried way the government sold the utility corporation without putting it in good shape so that the private hands that will buy it will have a smooth and easy take up.

I was against selling the power corporation to former leaders, cronies and incompetent men by the Jonathan administration.

The past government didn’t rehabilitate the power plants before selling them. All money set aside were stolen by officials. The government refused to listen. We said they should take a cue from global trend. Almost all countries around the world began their power reforms from different starting points with a long history of handing over relatively well managed power corporations.

In contrast, Nigeria is privatising inherited pieces of the old NEPA systems, a derelict corporation where power generation was allowed to dip below 3500mw .

Nigeria will be the only nation in the world that sold its utility corporation at such an abysmal low power generation level, 3500MW to be precise.

Privatization of the Power and Natural Gas Industries around the world has a starting point which include: industry structure, wholesale market, labour and management relations, regulatory framework, privatization objectives and privatization methods.

Nigeria was so much in a hurry to sell out the entire system without taking a holistic appraisal of the likely consequences of the exercise to the nation.

And this explains why the country will remain in darkness for a very long time!

Aliyu Nuhu write from Abuja, Nigeria.