Waste Contractors in Abuja Threaten Service Halt Over 9-Month Unpaid Bills

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Waste contractors under the Association of FCT Solid Waste Contractors (AFSOWAC) have warned that Abuja could face a sanitation crisis as they battle unpaid bills stretching back to January 2025.

The association, which manages refuse collection across 44 lots in the city, said its members clear more than 1,000 tonnes of waste daily with over 100 refuse trucks and 60 tippers, engaging over 3,000 workers who depend on the job for survival.

But the contractors revealed that operations have been sustained only through borrowing, and those resources have now run dry. “Despite our loyalty and sustained service delivery, we have not received payments since January,” AFSOWAC stated.

The group accused the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), which oversees the contracts, of continuing to issue daily directives without addressing their financial concerns. Already, they noted, the city is witnessing a visible build-up of refuse, a situation alien to Abuja’s reputation.

AFSOWAC also decried the “deplorable” state of the Gosa dumpsite, stressing the urgent need for better access roads and modern equipment. The contractors urged the FCT Administration to hasten the procurement process it initiated in October 2024, warning that current payments—based on outdated rates—no longer reflect realities under subsidy removal and naira devaluation.

“We have reached a point where passion and commitment alone cannot sustain this essential service. Without payment, we cannot continue,” the association warned, appealing for immediate government action to prevent a breakdown of sanitation services that could threaten public health and safety.