Susan Abayomi
The Federal Government has ruled out any immediate increase in electricity tariffs, saying its current priority is to improve service delivery, expand access to reliable power and accelerate universal metering across the country.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, made the clarification while speaking with journalists after commissioning a 3MW captive solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
Tegbe said the government’s immediate focus was on improving the quality of electricity services and protecting consumers, particularly vulnerable Nigerians.
“There are no immediate plans to increase electricity tariffs. Our goal is to build a commercially viable power sector while protecting vulnerable consumers,” the Minister said.
He identified universal metering as another major priority of the Ministry, noting that wider deployment of meters would promote accurate billing, improve transparency and ensure consumers are charged according to their actual electricity consumption.
The Minister’s comments come amid concerns and public debate over the future of electricity subsidies and the possibility of another tariff adjustment.
Tegbe explained that while the government is reviewing reforms to the electricity subsidy framework in response to the sector’s financial challenges, any measures would take into account the impact on vulnerable consumers.
He said the administration is also working to address longstanding structural and financial challenges within the electricity sector while promoting greater efficiency and accountability across the power value chain.
According to him, improving electricity supply must go hand in hand with reforms capable of strengthening the sector’s financial sustainability and encouraging investment in critical infrastructure.
The government’s broader objective, he said, is to develop a financially sustainable and investment-friendly electricity market that can support improvements in power generation and distribution while providing more dependable electricity to households, businesses and public institutions.
Tegbe stressed that, for the immediate future, the government’s attention remains on service improvement, increased metering and strengthening the overall sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity sector rather than raising tariffs.
