JUST IN: Nigeria suspends plan to increase electricity tariff

AgegePulse Magazine

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will not proceed with the increment of the electricity tariff scheduled to take effect from April 1.

The latest announcement on Tuesday by the regulatory agency on its Twitter handle says, “There shall be no increase in tariff of end-use customers on April 1, 2020.”

The NERC spokesperson, Usman Arabi, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the agency authored the post on its Twitter handle.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the plan to increase the electricity tariff.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement, said that such an action would only add more pains to Nigerians amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.

NERC had in December 2019 disclosed that it would increase tariff from April 1, 2020.
A large part of Nigeria is on lockdown as the country joins the rest of the word to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools have been shut nationwide while many state governments have restricted movements in their states.
Nigeria has recorded 135 cases of the virus at the time of this report.

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Obasa, Lagos Assembly urge FG to allow states to generate electricity

AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the Federal Government to allow states or local governments that can generate electricity to do so.

Obasa made this known during the plenary session held on Tuesday.

The Speaker explained that concentrating electricity generation in the hands of the Federal Government, when there are no resources to do so is wrong.

He then ordered the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni to write the National Assembly and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing on the resolution of the House on the matter.

Representing Kosofe Constituency 2, Hon. Tunde Braimoh called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the Electricity Power Reform Act 2018 that criminalizes the estimated billing system.

He added that the House should call on the National Assembly to amend the schedule two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to allow states and local governments to generate electricity.

“The National Assembly should expedite action on the Electricity Reform Act 2018.

“I call on the Minister of Power and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to call on Eko and Ikeja DISCOs to desist from taking transformers away from consumers over non-payment of bills.


“The Minister and NERC should ensure the distribution of prepaid meters to consumers and the Consumer Protection Agency should ensure that the rights of consumers in Lagos State are protected,” he said.

Speaking also, The representative of Somolu 1, Hon. Rotimi Olowo said that the issues started occurring when the DISCOs took over.

“What is generated cannot be transmitted because we don’t have the facilities for transmission.

“We should call on the Minister of Power to make a critical analysis of these companies.


“The DISCOs don’t have the financial muscle to provide power for the people.


 We need to overhaul the electric service providers since they don’t have enough financial requirement, and their monopoly gesture has made life unbearable for our people,” he said.

Tribune