The House of Representatives has instructed the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to pause the implementation of the recent increase in electricity tariffs for its Band A customers.
Lawmakers made the decision during a plenary session on Tuesday, April 30, as reported by Channels TV. The resolution came after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Kama Nkemkanma. In March, NERC had raised the electricity tariff for Band A customers by 230 percent, from ₦68 per kilowatt-hour to ₦225/kWh. Band A customers represent those receiving an average daily supply of electricity for 20 hours or more, accounting for 15 percent of the nation’s 12 million electricity consumers.
In response, a press statement from NERC’s Vice Chairman, Musliu Oseni, explained that due to the failure to meet the required electricity supply hours, some customers had been reclassified, with some Band A customers moved to Band B.
Oseni stated, “The commission has issued an order titled April supplementary order taking effect from today. The commission now reviewed further the application by the distribution companies and has decided that only 17% of feeders and less than 15% of customers will be affected by any rate increase that the commission will ever approve for the distribution company.”
During a one-day investigative hearing before the Senate Committee on Power on Monday, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, clarified that customers on Band A not currently receiving 20-hour electricity would not be subject to the new tariff.
