The Nigeria Labour Congress has strongly criticized the recent increase in electricity tariffs for Band A customers, rejecting the raise from N206.80 per kilowatt-hour to N209.5/KWh.
According to The PUNCH, in a statement on Thursday, NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized the Federal Government for its perceived insensitivity and insincerity, describing the tariff hike as the epitome of impunity and arrogance.
Ajaero warned that this increase would likely force more companies to shut down and further burden consumers.
On Wednesday, electricity distribution companies announced the new tariff rates, approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
They attributed the hike to rising operational costs driven by inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
Ajaero recalled that during a recent national strike, the government had pledged to address the existing Band A tariff hike from 68/kWh.
He questioned why the government chose to implement another increase rather than a downward review.
“This increment has come on the heels of unresolved contestations around the insane 250 percent hike in tariff leading to national paralysis including the shutting down of 300 businesses as per the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria,” Ajaero said.
He continued, “The 250 percent hike drew the ire of the citizenry and rage of organised labour whose members went on a one-day protest for its unreasonableness and violation of extant rules of tariff hike.”
Ajaero noted that labor had paused its actions only after receiving firm assurances from relevant authorities, including the National Assembly, that the issue would be quietly resolved. He criticized the new hike as a sign of the government’s insincerity and insensitivity.
“We do not doubt that this frequent crass display of insincerity and insensitivity will pit the people against the government or vice versa,” Ajaero stated.
He argued that the justifications given by DisCos—exchange rate, interest rate, and gas costs—highlighted the government’s lack of commitment to finding a lasting solution to the nation’s energy crisis.
“Given the further damage this latest wave of increase will do to our economy, we demand an immediate reversal of the hike. It is unjustifiable, unreasonable, and malevolent. Government and DisCos should stop killing the people and the economy,” Ajaero emphasized.
