Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KAEDC, has posted the worst performance in the power sector in Q1 2025, recording a staggering 68.57% Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collection loss, ATC&C, the highest among Nigeria’s 11 DisCos, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collection losses, ATC&C, refer to the combined inefficiencies in technical energy losses, commercial billing failures, and poor revenue collection.
In Kaduna’s case, only N1.9 billion of the N6.2 billion energy delivered was recovered, raising concerns about the company’s operational viability.
This troubling performance has triggered fresh scrutiny from the regulator. “We are engaging KAEDC for a comprehensive performance review and may impose enforcement measures if improvements are not forthcoming,” NERC stated.
The DisCo’s challenges stem from a mix of obsolete infrastructure, widespread meter bypass, poor customer enumeration, and inadequate billing systems. Its inability to contain commercial losses has turned it into a weak link in the electricity value chain.
KAEDC services parts of Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara States, areas with challenging terrain and high vulnerability to energy theft.
In contrast, DisCos like Ikeja Electric and Eko DisCo recorded lower ATC&C losses at 18.92% and 20.33% respectively, underlining the disparity in performance across the country’s electricity landscape.
NERC’s report warned that continued inefficiencies in DisCos like Kaduna could compromise NESI’s financial health and derail recovery efforts across the sector.
As a stop-gap, the Commission said it is working with KAEDC to review its performance improvement plan and enforce accountability metrics tied to tariff adjustments. “We will not allow chronic underperformance to persist unchecked,” NERC affirmed.
