NewsNigeriaPoliticsPower Minister Advocates for Tariff Increase: Pay More or Stay in the Dark

Nigerians are facing a tough decision as the government threatens a complete blackout if a proposed increase in electricity tariffs is not accepted.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, warned that without the tariff hike, the country’s power grid could collapse within the next three months, leading to a total blackout.

“The entire sector will be grounded if we don’t increase the tariff. With what we have now in the next three months, the entire country will be in darkness if we don’t increase tariffs,” Adelabu said on Monday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Power to defend the tariff increase.

“The increment will catapult us to the next level. We are also Nigerians, we are also feeling the impact,” he added.

This announcement has sparked anger and frustration among Nigerians. With many already struggling to pay current electricity rates, the proposed increase threatens to cripple household budgets. Social media is abuzz with outrage, with citizens questioning why they are forced to choose between higher bills with financial strains and a complete power outage.

Adelabu argues that the tariff increase is necessary to improve the power sector. He said the additional revenue will be used to invest in infrastructure upgrades, maintenance, and gas purchases.

The Minister claims these investments are crucial for ensuring a more stable and reliable electricity supply in the long run.

“For this sector to be revived, the government needs to spend nothing less than 10 billion dollars annually in the next 10 years,” Adelabu said.

“This is because of the infrastructure requirement for the stability of the sector. But the government cannot afford that. And so we must make this sector attractive to investors and to lenders.”

“So, for us to attract investors and investment, we must make the sector attractive, and the only way it can be made attractive is that there must be commercial pricing.”

“If the value is still at N66 and the government is not paying subsidy, the investors will not come. But now that we have increased the tariff for Band A, interests are being shown by investors.”

Yet, critics point out that past tariff increases have not resulted in significant improvements. They argue for more transparency in how electricity funds are being used and call for reforms to tackle corruption within the power sector.