Niger Electricity Distribution Limited (NEDL) has disconnected the 33kV Gwada and Erena electricity feeders in Niger State over persistent non-payment of electricity bills by customers, despite repeated engagements and payment recovery efforts.
The company announced the disconnection of the feeders connected to the 132kV Shiroro Transmission Station, with immediate effect, citing mounting outstanding bills that have made continued electricity supply commercially unsustainable.
In a public notice, NEDL, a subsidiary of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), said it issued disconnection notices to affected customers in July 2026, giving them an opportunity to settle their debts and regularise their accounts.
The distribution company said some consumers in the affected communities believed their status as host communities to the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station exempted them from paying electricity bills.
However, NEDL clarified that living close to a power generation facility or within a host community did not automatically exempt consumers from paying for electricity supplied to them.
It stressed that all customers connected to its distribution network were required to pay for electricity consumed in line with applicable tariffs and the prevailing regulatory and commercial framework.
The company explained that persistent non-payment undermined the financial sustainability of electricity distribution and constrained its capacity to maintain and improve service delivery.