Increased tariffs: Nigerians living in abject poverty - Ajaero

Due to the extremely low amount of electricity available, Nigerians, according to Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, are currently living in extreme poverty.

This was stated by Ajaero at the current demonstration at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Abuja.

Remember that on Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and their allies, collectively known as Organized Labour, promised to shut down all NERC offices countrywide in response to the most recent increase in electricity rates.

Ajaero said that the supply currently supplied by Nigeria is insufficient for Lagos, a single state in Nigeria, when speaking to protestors and the NERC management.

Ajaero also took issue with the NERC’s decision to raise tariffs without consulting any parties involved in the electricity industry.

He said, “We are here on a peaceful protest, having written so many letters to NERC to remind them that they cannot increase tariffs without meeting with Nigerians. We reminded them that the process of increasing tariffs requires that they meet with all stakeholders, including labour.

“We do not know where this current tariff is coming from. NERC is not oblivious to the fact that Nigeria is wallowing in lower poverty. Nigeria is down the line as one of the countries in the world that are poor in terms of power supply.

“What Nigeria is generating Today is not enough for Lagos alone and it is bad enough for you now to tell us that some Nigerians are bigger than the others. It is bad enough for you to say some Nigerians will get 20 hours while other Nigerians will get two hours.”

At a press conference in Abuja on April 3, the NERC revealed that Band A consumers would henceforth pay N225 per kilowatt-hour, instead of the prior rate of N68/kWh, for energy.

The gain amounted to a 240% rise.

With this event, customers in the Band A category—who made up around 15% of all 12.82 million electricity consumers nationwide—had their tariff subsidies removed.

The Federal Government estimated that the tariff increase will save N1.5 trillion.

The government announced that the decision became operative on April 3, 2024, and that Band A consumers will have access to power for up to 20 hours every day.