By Abdullahi Jalalludeen
Electricity workers on Wednesday shut down operations at the headquarters of the Kano Electricity Distribution Plc (KEDCO) in Kano, protesting alleged non-remittance of pension deductions and poor staff welfare, a development that resulted in a total blackout across Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.
The workers, operating under the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), barricaded the company’s entrance gate while displaying placards calling for the remittance of pension deductions, implementation of performance appraisals, improved staff welfare, and the provision of basic working tools and personal protective equipment.
Addressing the protesters, the Deputy President General (North) of SSAEAC, Comrade Rilwanu Shehu, accused KEDCO management of failing to honour several agreements reached with workers over the years. He alleged that pension deductions spanning more than 90 months had not been remitted to pension fund administrators, describing the situation as a violation of workers’ rights.
Shehu further alleged that other entitlements, including promotions, allowances and performance appraisals, had been neglected, adding that many employees were working under poor conditions without adequate tools, a situation he said had adversely affected productivity and morale. According to him, the unions were only demanding compliance with existing agreements, including the remittance of pension deductions, recall of allegedly sacked staff and the resolution of outstanding welfare issues.
Also speaking, the Vice President of NUEE, Comrade Ado Gaya, said the protest followed the expiration of an ultimatum issued to KEDCO after negotiations with management broke down. He accused the company of selective promotions, non-payment of the 13th-month allowance and irregular implementation of staff appraisals, alleging that pension deductions were being made without corresponding remittances.
Meanwhile, KEDCO management attributed the blackout in the three states to the industrial action by the two in-house unions over what it described as unresolved legacy issues inherited from previous administrations.
Briefing journalists in Kano on Wednesday, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of KEDCO, Dr Abubakar Shuaibu-Jimeta, said the shutdown of the company’s headquarters and power feeders by the protesting workers led to the total outage.
According to him, KEDCO was privatised in 2013 and taken over by its current core investor, Future Energies Africa, in November 2023, inheriting several liabilities, including pension arrears, promotions backlog and unpaid bonuses.
“We have a total staff strength of 2,900. Out of these, 1,500 staff have been promoted to address the backlog,” Jimeta said.
He explained that since assuming office on May 1, 2025, management had engaged the unions and reached agreements to settle outstanding liabilities in phases. “Between May and December 2025, we agreed to pay 19 months of pension arrears. Fifteen months have been fully paid, leaving four outstanding,” he said.
Jimeta disclosed that N25 million was paid on Tuesday, adding that management had committed to settling the remaining N485 million between January and February 2026, citing temporary financial challenges as the reason for the delay.
He dismissed claims that death benefits had not been paid, stating that all outstanding death benefits were fully settled by November 2025. He also said an outstanding one-month appraisal allowance for 2022, raised by the unions, had been paid in full on Tuesday as a demonstration of management’s good faith.
The KEDCO Managing Director said the major disagreement arose when the unions demanded the immediate payment of about N500 million within a few hours, a condition he described as unrealistic. “We proposed that the outstanding liabilities be paid between January and February, but they insisted it must be paid within hours, which led to the picketing and shutdown,” .
Jimeta noted that staff salaries were up to date, stressing that the dispute centred on allowances, including 13th-month bonuses for 2019 and 2025. He described the shutdown of electricity supply as unfortunate, warning that it had serious social and economic consequences for residents and businesses across the three states.
“When there is an issue between management and staff, it should not be escalated to affect millions of innocent customers,” he said.
He assured customers that management, the board and investors were intensifying engagements with the unions to resolve the dispute and restore power supply, expressing optimism that the situation would be resolved promptly.
Jimeta also highlighted investments made by the company since the takeover, including the construction of a N1.3 billion 33kV feeder supplying the Dawanau grain market, now enjoying up to 24 hours of electricity, as well as ongoing solar power projects across Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.
He reiterated KEDCO’s commitment to improved service delivery, industrial harmony and continuous engagement with stakeholders to ensure stable power supply within its franchise areas.
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