Contractors in charge of cleaning Abuja have threatened to halt services from September 25 following the non-payment of nine months’ outstanding wages.
Operating under the Association of FCT Solid Waste and Cleaning Contractors (AFSOWAC), the group issued the warning in a letter to the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC).
AFSOWAC, which oversees sanitation across 44 lots in the capital, said its members handle over 1,000 tonnes of waste daily with more than 100 refuse trucks and 60 tippers, employing over 3,000 workers who depend solely on the job for survival.
The contractors said they have kept operations afloat by borrowing from formal and informal sources, but these options have now been exhausted.
“Despite our loyalty and sustained service delivery, we have not received payments since January 2025,” the group lamented.
The association also accused the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) of issuing daily directives without addressing their financial plight. It noted that the delay in payments is already causing visible waste build-up in the city.
AFSOWAC further decried the deplorable state of the Gosa dumpsite, calling for urgent intervention to improve access and equipment availability.
The group urged the FCT Administration to fast-track the procurement process it initiated in October 2024 to reflect current economic realities such as subsidy removal and naira devaluation, stressing that present payment rates are outdated and unsustainable.
“We have reached a point where passion and commitment alone cannot sustain this essential service. Without payment, we cannot continue,” the association warned.
It appealed for immediate government action to prevent disruption of sanitation services, warning that such a breakdown could pose serious risks to public health and safety.
