The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to the recent electricity tariff hike, stating that there will be no reversal despite the two-week ultimatum issued by the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Florence Eke, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Power, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, reaffirming the justification provided by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during a Senate public hearing last week.
Eke emphasized that the government is not aligning with the trade unions’ stance on the issue of electricity tariffs.
Despite the government’s position, the TUC has maintained its two-week ultimatum for the federal government to reverse the tariff hike.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, also criticized the tariff hike.
The tariff increase, announced by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission on April 3, affects Band A customers who receive at least 20 power supplies daily.
The new rate is N225 per kilowatt-hour, a significant increase from the previous rate of N68/kWh, representing a 240% hike.
The government has defended the tariff hike, stating that it would save the country N1.5 trillion, and only 15% of the 12.8 million electricity customers would be affected.
Minister Adelabu warned at the Senate hearing that Nigeria would face power shortages in weeks without the tariff increase.
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