Kaduna Govt House plunged into darkness over N2.9bn electricity debt

A dramatic showdown between the Kaduna State Government and the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) has played out in the open, with the latter taking the drastic step of disconnecting power supply to the Government House over an accumulated debt of N2.9 billion.
In a statement released on Friday by Head, Corporate Communication, AbdulAzeez Abdullahi, on Friday, KAEDCO explained that despite numerous attempts to engage with state officials to resolve the outstanding payment, the government had defaulted on its electricity bills. 
The power company emphasized that the debt had been accruing over a significant period, with a substantial portion of it representing current consumption charges.

The Kaduna Electric’s statement added that the outstanding balance for electricity consumed from January 2024 to July 2024 alone amounted to a staggering One Billion, One Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-One Naira, Eighty-Seven Kobo (N1,166,856,991.87).
This figure, including the historical debt has left the State Government with a huge debt that currently stands at a total of Two Billion Nine Hundred and Forty -three,  Million Sixty Thousand One Hundred and Sixteen Naira Seventy-Seven Kobo (N2,943,060,116.77), according to KAEDCO.
It noted further that despite a recent payment of N256,920,963.88 made on May 9, 2024, for electricity consumed between September 2023 and December 2023, the Kaduna State Government’s debt remains significantly high.
“This payment, though substantial, has not been enough to clear the accumulated arrears,” it said.
The decision to cut power to the seat of government has sent shockwaves through the state, underscoring the deepening financial challenges faced by many state governments across Nigeria. 
The move is also likely to exacerbate the already strained relationship between the state and its power distributor, raising questions about the sustainability of electricity supply to other critical government facilities and the public at large.