‘Electricity tariffs not increased for low-income Nigerians’

Increase in electricity tariffs in Nigeria, which took effect February 1, and was greeted with nationwide protests, did not affect consumers in the low-income class, otherwise known as the R1 customer class.

This was revealed Thursday in Abuja by Anthony Akah, acting chief executive officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), who further narrated that electricity tariffs for this class of consumers was N4 per kilowatt hour before the February upward review and still remained same after the review.

Akah, who was on a courtesy call on Lawrence Anukam, director general of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), also said that electricity must be rightly priced by all Nigerians.

He said the functions include the protection of consumers and to ensure that providers of electricity were allowed to make reasonable profit from their businesses.

Akah further noted that the Commission should never be seen as siding with either the consumers or the market participants, as it rather work to create a level playing field for all market participants and other stakeholders.

‘’The Commission promotes competition for market practices based on the realities in the sector and the dynamics of the economy. Power is a product and should be rightly priced,’’ he said.

The NERC boss told his host that the impact of NERC needed to be felt across the country, hence the need for a sustained collaboration with NESREA for the purpose of achieving energy efficiency and sustainability.

The NESREA DG, in his response, welcomed the strategic visit and informed the delegation that the agency also looks at the impact of generation and distribution and the disposal of waste that may arise from power generating facilities, among other sources.

NERC and NESREA also agreed on forming a task team that would help them facilitate the realisation of their common goal.

YANGE IKYAA