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Nigerians decry electricity tariff hike amidst poor power supply
Electricity consumers in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states have decried the hike in tariff amidst epileptic power supply in the country.
In a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the states, some electricity consumers described the hike as exploitative.
They said that improving power supply should be the government’s priority and not tariff hike.
A former Vice-President of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) for South-West, Mr Sadiq Adewale, said that the epileptic power situation in the country could be attributed to obsolete power generation and distribution equipment of GENCOS and discos respectively.
Adewale said that most of the equipment being used by discos needed to be replaced with modern ones to meet the increasing electricity demands by Nigerians
According to him, except those equipment were replaced with modern ones, it would be difficult to guarantee regular power supply across the country.
Adewale also said that the current electricity generating capacity was very low when compared with what was required.
Also, a resident of Ile-Ife, Mr Abiodun Ogunyomi, said that the poor electricity supply currently being experienced across the country had crippled many businesses.
Ogunyomi said that the hike in electricity tariff amidst poor power was a proof of government’s insensitivity to the plights of the masses.
According to him, the power supply situation in Nigeria is frustrating.
Mr Dara Olagoke, who resides in Osogbo, said electricity supply in his area, Agunbelewo, was not regular.
Olagoke said that with the current power supply situation in the country, increase in electricity tariff was unjust and uncalled for.
“How do they want the masses to cope?
There isn’t regular electricity supply and yet you increase the tariff. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mrs Kikelomo Owoeye, the Senior Communication Officer, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Osun Region, said that many factors were responsible for poor power generation and distribution in the country.
Owoeye said that one of the major factors was the low energy allocation from energy generation companies (gencos).
“We cannot distribute what we do not generate. If there is insufficient power generation, supply to customers will also be limited.
Other challenges, according to her, include grid disturbances, energy theft, illegal connections, meter tampering, vandalism, non-payment of bills (for post-paid customers), and lack of regular vending (for pre-paid customers).
“Maintaining and upgrading electricity infrastructure require adequate funding, which depends on timely payments from customers,” she said.
Owoeye, however, said that IBEDC had been supplying energy to customers on power distribution based on customer band.
“We ensure that power distribution aligns with the assigned customer bands, like Band A: 20 hours, Band B: 16 hours, Band C: 12 hours, Band D: 8 hours, Band E: 4 hours.
“Additionally, we engage in vegetation management and proactive maintenance to enhance reliability of electrical infrastructure,” she said.
A landlord in Ado-Ekiti, Mr Sunday Ajibade, condemned what he called outrageous monthly bills of N25,000 or more issued to many residents in his area.
Ajibade said that while monthly bills were on the high side, electricity supply had not been of commensurate level.
He said that the Federal Government should no longer condone discos’ requests for increase in tariff without improvement in electricity supply.
Another resident, Mrs Iyabo Ogundele, a frozen foods seller, said poor power supply had continued to threaten the survival of her business.
Similarly, Mr Joel Ilesanmi, a barbing salon operator, said the fuel he buys to keep his generator working has posed a serious threat to his business.
According to him, a large percentage of the money made on a daily basis goes into fuel purchase.
He urged government to compel distribution companies to give prepaid meters to all those who applied for them so as to end issues relating to what he called systemic cheating.
Also commenting, a hospitality entrepreneur, Mr Kehinde Owolabi, said that the current transmission and distribution networks in Nigeria appeared outdated and inefficient, often leading to frequent power outages and voltage fluctuations.
He said that investment in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which had become affordable and efficient in foreign countries, should be explored in Nigeria.
“If government can invest in these sources of energy, it will help to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and improve its energy security,” Owolabi said.
He said that the government could also encourage private investments by creating a more favourable regulatory environment and providing financial incentives.
The hospitality expert also blamed consumers for the problem, saying many of them had habits of not conserving energy and failing to turn off lights and appliances, when they were not in use.
Also, Mrs Abiodun Ibiwoye, who is a trader, said that crazy bills from BEDC had forced her to adopt an alternative energy source, that is, solar, for her soft drink business.
Ibiwoye said that a long-term solution capable of addressing the root problem of affordability and reliable energy access must be applied by government.
A business centre operator, Mr Solomon Ogunlola, said he had explored energy-efficient appliances to reduce electricity consumption in the face of price hike without regular power supply.
He said that the intention behind the tariff hike might be to ensure the financial viability of the electricity sector, saying its impact on ordinary Nigerians had been overwhelmingly negative.
Ogunlola stressed the urgent need for a more balanced and sustainable approach to energy pricing in the country.
In his contributions, Mr James Anifowose, a welder, called for revocation of licences of non-performing power distribution companies.
Anifowose said that many times, he often relied on generator to power his machines because the electricity supplied to his street had been consistently poor.
In Akure, Mrs Kehinde Aruleba, an electricity consumer, said that the proposed strike by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) would receive great support because Nigerians could no longer cope with persistent increase in electricity tariff, especially when the supply was not guaranteed.
Aruleba, who teaches in Hapa College, Oba-Ile, said that the most affected Nigerians were those living in houses that were not metered.
She said that most residential apartments received electricity bills of between N35,000 and N40,000 in a month for post-paid meters without any evidence of such consumption.
“How will an apartment of two to three bedrooms with five occupants consume power that will amount to N35,000 to N40,000 when sometimes, there will be no power supply for several days?
“Even those with meters are grumbling because of the high speed at which the units are consumed. And they still have gut to increase the tariff. It’s so unfair to Nigerians.
“I think the proposed strike by NLC will receive great support,” she said.
Mr Daniel Akeju, a resident of Akure, described the service provided by BEDC as average, with power supply of 10 hours per day or lower.
Akeju said that the increase in electricity tariff in the face of epileptic power supply should be questioned by the country’s authorities.
Also, Dr Foluso Taiwo, Secretary of NLC in Ekiti, said that obsolete equipment contributed immensely to electricity load shedding and poor power supply.
“Most of these transformers are old. Also at installation, the capacity could be 200 KV to 500KV and serve the people in the area then, but now the demographic capacity of the area has increased.
“More buildings are now available and funny enough, the same transformer is still there to serve such a densely populated area.
“So, the load that a transformer can carry becomes a challenge at different intervals when everybody is around and they try to use electricity.
“Some of them will burn the feeder pillar unit of the transformer. We are not talking about stealing where people will come to vandalise it in order to steal its parts.
“So, what the disco staff do is to ensure that they supply the power to people in different areas at different times in a community because of the capacity of the transformer now, unlike what it was at installation stage,” he stated.
Taiwo, who gave kudos to military governments in the country for building different dams for power generation, said that no successive civilian government had been able to complete a power generation dam in the country.
He said power generation in the country was very low, adding that despite the excess of liquified gas, the country had not been able to channel it to power generation.
“The other problem is corruption in the power sector.
“We just must address these problems totally to tackle the issue of adequate and uninterrupted power supply in the country,” Taiwo said. (NAN)
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Friday for a high-level operational visit to Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), the military’s counter-insurgency campaign in the North East.
The visit, according to a statement by Ahmad Dan Wudil, the minister’s media aide, aims to evaluate the troops’ operational readiness, boost morale among frontline personnel, and review strategies to restore lasting peace and stability in the region.
The statement underscored the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The trip comes amid growing concerns over resurgent attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno State.
Earlier this month, Governor Babagana Zulum warned that the security situation was deteriorating, with insurgents dislodging military formations in areas such as Wulgo, Wajiroko, and Sabon Gari.
Zulum urged the federal government and security agencies to act decisively to prevent a reversal of the gains made in the fight against insurgency.
“While we appreciate the tremendous support from the federal government and the military, the current shift in focus away from the North East risks undermining our progress,” Zulum said, highlighting the need for renewed efforts to curb the escalating violence.
The minister’s visit signals a renewed commitment to addressing the security challenges in Borno, where sporadic attacks have raised fears among residents and displaced communities.
Operation HADIN KAI remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s efforts to combat insurgency and restore stability to the troubled region.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Malaria Day 2025, the Caleb Danladi Foundation has stepped up its efforts to combat the disease, with a special focus on protecting vulnerable populations.
Aligning with this year’s theme, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” the Foundation facilitated the re-enrollment of hundreds of women, children, and other at-risk groups into the Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme.
Founder of the Foundation, Captain Caleb Danladi, disclosed that the organisation fully funded the beneficiaries’ insurance premiums to enhance their access to malaria prevention and treatment services.
Speaking during Friday’s commemoration, Danladi lamented that malaria continues to claim countless lives, particularly in underserved communities.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” he said. “On this World Malaria Day, we reaffirm our commitment to saving lives through direct support, strong advocacy, and strategic investments in community health solutions.”
He emphasised the need for sustained investments in healthcare and a reimagined approach to delivering equitable services across communities.
Danladi also urged government agencies, healthcare workers, and development partners to strengthen collaboration efforts aimed at eradicating malaria, noting that safeguarding the health and dignity of Nigerians especially women and children is a shared responsibility.
The Director-General (D-G) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated that Africa would be minimally impacted by the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remark during an interview with Nigerian journalists at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington D.C. on Friday.
She explained that only 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports go to the USA, while 4.4 per cent of its imports come from the U.S., meaning that the impact on the continent would be minimal.
“The trade of the continent is very limited with the USA. We have done the analysis, and the impact on the continent as a whole is not significant,” she said.
However, she noted that Africa’s limited trade with the USA was also not ideal, as it hindered economic growth.
The D-G emphasised that Africa needed to focus on utilising its own resources to reach its full potential, as aid was declining, and the continent required more investment.
She pointed out that Africa must strengthen internal trade, citing Lesotho as an example.
In spite of Lesotho exporting 200 million dollars’ worth of textiles to the USA, the country faced challenges due to the shrinking U.S. market.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that Africa spent 7 billion dollars annually on importing textiles, suggesting that Lesotho should instead focus on selling textiles within African markets.
She also urged the USA to consider the effects of tariffs on least-developed countries, calling for a reassessment of the reciprocal tariffs in poorer nations.
Okonjo-Iweala concluded that Africa needed more investments and should work towards boosting intra-Africa trade, which remained underdeveloped.
“We cannot trade more externally, where our trade is only 3 per cent of world trade, or internally, where intra-Africa trade is 16 to 20 per cent at most,” she said.(NAN)