The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero stated that Nigerians are experiencing power poverty due to the abysmally low supply of electricity.
He made this statement at the ongoing protest at the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission in Abuja.
The protest was held by the Organized Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and their affiliates, to express their disapproval of the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission announced the hike in electricity tariffs for Band A customers at a press briefing in Abuja on April 3, 2024.
The tariff hike represented a 240% increase, and the Federal Government stated that it would save N1.5tn.
He said, “We are here on a peaceful protest, having written so many letters to NERC to remind them that they cannot increase tariffs without meeting with Nigerians. We reminded them that the process of increasing tariffs requires that they meet with all stakeholders, including labour.
“We do not know where this current tariff is coming from. NERC is not oblivious to the fact that Nigeria is wallowing in lower poverty.”
Nigeria is down the line as one of the countries in the world that are poor in terms of power supply.
“What Nigeria is generating Today is not enough for Lagos alone and it is bad enough for you now to tell us that some Nigerians are bigger than the others. It is bad enough for you to say some Nigerians will get 20 hours while other Nigerians will get two hours.”
Ajaero criticized the move by the NERC to hike tariffs without engaging with stakeholders in the power sector.
He emphasized that the process of increasing tariffs requires meetings with all stakeholders, including labour.
Ajaero also highlighted that the current supply generated by Nigeria is not even enough for Lagos, which is just one state in Nigeria.
He expressed his disapproval of the fact that some Nigerians will get 20 hours of power supply while others will get only two hours.
The NERC’s decision has been met with opposition from various stakeholders, including the Organized Labour, who are demanding a reversal of the tariff hike.
