‘Nigerian govt, DisCos want to hike electricity tariff to share proceeds among themselves’ — Okorie

An energy expert and Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Pricewill Okorie, has alleged that the Federal Government and electricity distribution companies, DisCos want to increase electricity tariffs again so they can “share the proceeds among themselves.”

He disclosed this in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Saturday while reacting to the planned removal of electricity subsidies across all customer bands.

Recall that the Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure, Sadiq Wanka, said electricity tariffs for all electricity bands in Nigeria would soon be implemented because it is now the Federal Government’s policy.

The remarks mean that electricity bills will increase for customers on Bands B, C, D and E — that is, electricity consumers who receive 16 hours of power supply or less.

Reacting, Okorie questioned whether the removal of electricity subsidies would address the country’s power sector challenges.

According to him, like the removal of fuel subsidies, the planned electricity subsidy removal is another attempt to impoverish Nigerians.

He noted that since the introduction of the Band A electricity tariff under the tenure of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, there has not been a corresponding improvement in the quality of power supply for Nigerians.

Okorie added that plans to introduce another electricity tariff hike under the current Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, are not in the best interest of Nigerians.

“Is it the subsidy removal that is the issue? Or do they just want to keep milking Nigerians so they can share the money among themselves?

“Another man (Adebayo Adelabu) came and introduced Bands A, B, C, and E.

“This one (Tegbe) has come now. He is removing the subsidy,” he told DAILY POST.

DAILY POST reports that in April 2024, the Nigerian government increased the electricity tariff for Band A customers to N225 per kilowatt-hour, kWh from N68 per kWh.