The Impact of Privatization Reform on Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) In FCT Abuja Nigeria, 2015 - 2025

Public administration in Nigeria has undergone many changes, reforms, and restructuring, prominent among them is the privatization policy. The aim of all the reforms is to foster better service delivery. The privatization of Abuja Electricity Distribution company (AEDC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was intended to improve efficiency and enhance consistent quality of power supply to the consumers. The study evaluates the impact of privatization reform on AEDC. The FCT electricity consumers continue to experience some challenges despite the privatization of electricity. Such challenges include poor management, high tariffs, estimated billing, poor customer service, epileptic supply, infrastructural deficits, among others. This study adopts New Public Management Theory as its theoretical framework and makes use of secondary data. It is a descriptive research survey. The study examines the extent to which privatization has influenced AEDC operations and services, including power supply and distribution, revenue collection and generation, customer services and relations, financial performance, and its operations. Findings from the study revealed that privatization has led to improvement in managerial efficiency, private investment, and operational efficiency. However, revenue collection and distribution are still affected by institutional and operational constraints. The privatization of AEDC is faced with poor infrastructure, high energy costs, revenue shortfalls, poor metering, billing difficulties, inconsistent power supply, and a high level of customer dissatisfaction. From the ongoing reforms, there are challenges. Consequently, the survey concluded that privatization as a reform policy has not solved the challenges of electricity in the FCT. Hence, the following recommendations were made to complement privatization: the establishment of a strong regulatory body that must be functional; improved metering systems; improved funding in infrastructural facilities and digitalization of its operations; better tariff administration; customer engagement; and better transmission and distribution processes that will enhance the availability of steady power supply that is customer-friendly and reliable.