The Nigerian government is reportedly in debt to the tune of over N100 billion in unpaid energy bills, according to Sunday Oduntan, Executive Director of the Association of Nigerian energy Distributors.
Oduntan underlined how important it is for the government to meet its budgetary commitments and foster an atmosphere that supports energy distributors.
Oduntan revealed that Ministries, Agencies, and Departments (MDAs) owing N100 billion in debt in an interview with Arise TV.
He emphasized that current circumstances, including the unpaid charge for the presidential villa to the Abuja electrical Distribution Company (AEDC), might have been avoided if the government had paid its electrical bills on time.
The executive director highlighted the recent payment made by President Bola Tinubu to clear the N342.3 million electricity bill owed by the presidential villa stressing the importance of government agencies, including ministries, in fulfilling their financial obligations to electricity distribution companies.
He urged for an effective approach to address outstanding debts and provide a conducive business environment for energy distributors.
It may surprise you to learn that certain ministries owe Abuja Disco money. In total, the ministries, departments, and agencies owe N100 billion. This is something we’ve been saying for a while. They didn’t start owing from May 2023. So there is no politics or mischief here. We are talking facts and how we can fix problems,” he said.