Contractors threaten to halt waste collection in Abuja over salary arrears

Waste contractors in Abuja have threatened to down tools from September 25 following the non-payment of nine months’ wages.

The contractors, operating under the Association of FCT Solid Waste and Cleaning Contractors (AFSOWAC), issued the warning in a letter to the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

According to the group, members who manage sanitation across 44 service lots in the capital clear more than 1,000 tonnes of refuse daily with over 100 refuse trucks and 60 tippers, employing more than 3,000 workers.

AFSOWAC lamented that despite sustaining services through loans from formal and informal sources, contractors had not been paid since January 2025. It added that the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), which supervises the contracts, continues to issue daily directives without resolving their financial plight.

The association warned that the delay was already causing visible waste accumulation in the city, which it described as unusual for Abuja. It also raised concerns about the “deplorable” state of the Gosa dumpsite, calling for urgent intervention to improve access and provide better equipment.

AFSOWAC further urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to fast-track the procurement process it initiated in October 2024, stressing that current payment rates were outdated and unsustainable in view of fuel subsidy removal and naira depreciation.

“We have reached a point where passion and commitment alone cannot sustain this essential service. Without payment, we cannot continue,” the contractors stated.

The association appealed for immediate government action to avert a sanitation crisis, warning that a strike could pose serious public health and safety risks.