They warned that the delay in payment since January 2025 has already led to a visible build-up of refuse in parts of the city.
The Association of FCT Solid Waste and Cleaning Contractors (AFSOWAC) has issued a notice of intention to suspend city cleaning services in Abuja by September 25, 2025, if the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) fails to clear nine months of outstanding payments.
In a letter dated September 17, 2025, and addressed to the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AFSOWAC said its members, who manage the 44 cleaning lots across the Federal Capital City (FCC), have been overstretched and can no longer sustain operations without payment.
“Our members have become over-stretched to the limits as funding daily operations, purchase of diesel, maintenance of equipment and machineries for providing these services as well as the payment of staff salaries are all capital intensive,” the association stated.
The contractors disclosed that they currently employ about 3,000 workers and operate over 100 refuse compacting trucks and 60 tippers, evacuating more than 1,000 tonnes of waste daily.
They warned that the delay in payment since January 2025 has already led to a visible build-up of refuse in parts of the city.
“We have sourced funds from formal and informal lenders to keep city sanitation going till this point, and by extension funding the management of the city which is an integral part of a functional city, for which we are not even recognized,” the statement added.
AFSOWAC also raised concerns about the “deplorable” state of the Gosa dumpsite, citing poor equipment and a lack of access routes that hinder waste disposal operations.
The group called on the FCTA to urgently conclude the ongoing procurement process initiated in October 2024, stressing that the current contract rates are outdated and unsustainable in light of the removal of fuel subsidy and the exchange rate harmonization policy.
“This clearly conveys a message; we can no longer sustain and guarantee the provision of these essential services without payments,” AFSOWAC warned, adding that failure to resolve the matter would force them to halt operations against their will.
The association appealed for swift intervention to prevent a public health crisis in the capital city.
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