Nigerians are outraged, as the Federal Government hints at a fresh electricity tariff hike to cut the country’s ₦4 trillion power sector debt.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, said that the government plans to phase out blanket subsidies and adopt cost-reflective tariffs, with targeted support only for the most vulnerable.
However, many consumers and civil society groups say the planned increase is unjustifiable given persistent blackouts and poor service.
Consumer advocate, Kunle Olubiyo, warned that raising tariffs without better supply would amount to “fleecing” citizens already burdened by economic hardship. Also, sector experts, such as Bode Fadipe, argue that merely hiking tariffs won’t solve deep-rooted problems like poor infrastructure and weak policies.
Latest figures show massive gaps between what consumers pay and actual cost: households in Band-C, for example, pay ₦56.38 per kWh instead of the cost-reflective ₦209.32.
While the Government promises reforms to boost generation and expand access, many Nigerians say service must improve before paying more.
“Most of us get less than six hours of power daily. Any hike now is unfair”, said Abubakar Aliyu, a consumer in Abuja.
