5th April 2024 NewsOrient
News

The Federal Government of Nigeria has defended it’s decision to increase electricity tariff, saying only 1.5million customers would be affected by the recent hike.

The government said it is aware of the suffering of Nigerians and that this understanding stopped it from deciding on full increment of electricity tariff across the country.

NewsOrient reports that Nigerian Government’s latest decision to increase electricity tariff has attracted wide criticism from citizens who complained of the wisdom behind such increment at a period when majority of Nigerians are suffering untold hardship, hunger and extreme poverty arising from government’s earlier decision to remove petroleum subsidy.

Reacting to the people’s outcry, the government said the recently increased electricity tariff will affect only what it described as “Band A Users.”

The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, said these at a media briefing in Abuja.

He said: “From the policy formulation perspective, the recent increase in tariff is for only Band A customers, which is just 15 percent of electricity consumers in Nigeria.

“As of the latest statistics, there are a little about 12 million customers in the sector and this [tariff hike] would only affect about 1.5 million customers,” he said, adding:

“The remaining 10.5 million customers will continue to enjoy the government’s subsidy at about 70 per cent.”

The news briefing event was coordinated by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

Photo Credit: Channels Television

~ NewsOrient