The Speaker House of the Representatives Hon Tajudeen Abbas has said that the decision by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to increase electricity tariffs had sparked widespread discontent.
He disclosed this in Abuja, Tuesday at a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Power, National Planning, and Delegated Legislation.
The speaker who was represented by the deputy speaker Hon Benjamin Kalu said the justification provided for the tariff hike as outlined by NERC, was to address the industry’s mounting debt and ensure continued functioning of the power sector.
Kalu said it was evident that the move had not been well-received by the citizenry, adding that the fears expressed by many were valid adding that such a sharp increase in electricity tariffs would only exacerbate the economic hardships already faced by our people.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said Nigeria enjoys cheaper electricity tariffs in Sub-Saharan Africa. He said, the introduction of band A with a higher tariff reduced electricity subsidies to N1 trillion from about N3 trillion.
