By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE RECENT electricity tariff increase has sparked widespread opposition, with workers in the power sector condemning the move.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has criticised the Minister of Power and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for prioritising higher tariffs over service improvements.
In a petition to the Minister, NUEE, through its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, challenged the justification for the proposed hike, arguing that the focus should be on enhancing efficiency and reliability in the power sector.
The union warned that the financial burden would ultimately fall on the general public, contradicting claims that the increase targets only Band A consumers, who make up 15% of electricity users but consume 40% of the nation’s power.
“The general public will be the most affected because they are the customers and end-users of Band A products and services,” the union stated.
“Additional costs will be passed on to ordinary Nigerians, worsening their financial struggles amid declining purchasing power.”
NUEE also questioned why, after 12 years of privatisation, the government had failed to reassess the electricity sector’s structure despite its continued inefficiencies.
The union argued that Nigerians should not be forced to pay higher tariffs without corresponding improvements in service delivery.
“It is appalling that the Minister appears more interested in increasing the poverty level rather than alleviating the suffering of the masses,” the petition read. “The tariff hike only serves to generalise electricity costs at an unsustainable level, further burdening already struggling citizens.”
Instead of raising tariffs, the union urged the government to prioritise investments in power generation, upgrade transmission infrastructure, and ensure that electricity remains affordable. The sector’s financial deficit, including a N1.6 trillion shortfall in wholesale tariffs, should not be passed on to consumers without first addressing inefficiencies, they argued.
The union maintained that without concrete measures to improve supply, Nigerians should not be forced to pay for unreliable electricity.
“The Honourable Minister of Power must reconsider his priorities and work towards finding solutions that benefit all Nigerians rather than placing an undue burden on them,” the statement concluded.
