The Federal Authorities has revealed that some rural communities in Nigeria are paying increased electrical energy tariffs than city Band A customers, regardless of having fun with a extra secure energy provide.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Company (REA), Abba Aliyu made this identified on Monday whereas talking on Channels Tv’s The Morning Temporary programme.
“There are communities, there are rural areas that pay extra tariffs than Band A prospects. There are areas the place the tariff is near N250 and N280,” Aliyu mentioned.
The REA boss mentioned the electrical energy tariff paid by rural communities largely relied on the overall price of infrastructure deployed by his company.
“They pay for his or her electrical energy, they usually get pleasure from it, however there are different areas the place the tariff is lower than Band A. It’s subjective on the overall price of infrastructure we deploy inside these communities,” he mentioned, including that his company explores photo voltaic vitality as an economically viable mannequin for energy technology to rural communities.
He mentioned the company has accomplished scores of mini-grids and interconnected mini-grids for universities and common hospitals throughout the six geopolitical zones of the nation.
Nigeria has confronted intractable vitality challenges, no due to an epileptic energy provide, which considerably impacts productiveness ranges.
Regardless of the privatisation of the electrical energy sector, energy technology, transmission and distribution have remained bogged with hydra-headed monsters of coverage inconsistency, low investments and operational challenges.
Backstory
In 2024, the Nigerian Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (NERC) authorized the upward evaluate of electrical energy costs.
The rise noticed electrical energy prospects pay N225 kilowatt per hour from N66, a improvement that was closely criticised by many Nigerians, contemplating the immediacy of the tariff hike and the present hardship within the land.
The price of petrol and diesel, that are available options, has elevated by fivefold, compounding the dilemma of customers.
What you need to know
In April, vitality analyst and media govt, Ikechukwu Amaechi, raised issues over the integrity of Nigeria’s electrical energy banding system, describing the much-publicised “Band A” classification as a rip-off that doesn’t ship on its guarantees.
His feedback come amid rising discontent amongst Nigerian customers, notably these within the Band A class, over what many describe as unjustified electrical energy tariff hikes and not using a corresponding enchancment in provide.
Underneath the present tariff construction authorized by the NERC, Band A prospects are anticipated to obtain a minimal of 20 hours of energy provide per day.