House of Representatives Directs NERC to Suspend New Electricity Tariff Implementation

the House of Representatives has instructed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to halt the implementation of the new incremental tariff on Band A customers.

This decision was reached during a plenary session on Tuesday, following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Kama Nkemkanma.

NERC recently announced a 230 percent increase in electricity tariff for Band A customers, raising it from ₦68 per kilowatt hour to ₦225/kWh. Band A customers, who receive an average daily supply of electricity for 20 hours or more, account for 15 percent of the nation’s 12 million electricity consumers.

Vice Chairman of NERC, Musliu Oseni, clarified that due to insufficient electricity supply hours, some Band A customers have been reclassified to Band B. He stated that only around 15% of the total customer population will be affected by the tariff increase.

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, emphasized that any Band A customer not currently enjoying 20-hour electricity supply will not be subjected to the new tariff.

This assurance was reiterated during a Senate Committee on Power hearing aimed at investigating the proposed tariff hike by the eleven electricity distribution companies.