Tariff Hike: Don’t protest, Nigeria electricity firms beg NLC, TUC

Tariff Hike: Don’t protest, Nigeria electricity firms beg NLC, TUC

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, on Sunday in Kano, appealed to organised labour to shelve its planned protest over electricity tariff increase on Monday.

A statement issued by the Executive Director, Research and Advocacy of the association, Sunday Oduntan, urged the unions to support the power sector operators to improve electricity supply in the country.

The statement urged Nigerians to support the Federal Government and the power sector operators to ensure the sustenance of the sector.

It said that Nigeria was witnessing an all-time high 5,075 megawatts of electricity for the first time in the history of the nation’s power sector.

“This is a demonstration that the sector has the capacity to meet the country’s power needs.

“Power is a major requirement in the drive to grow the nation’s economy and improve quality of life.

“We believe that this is only the beginning and that we can accomplish much more improvement in the sector, if all the stakeholders work together in partnership.

“ANED and its members are sensitive to customers’ anxiety over the recent increase in electricity tariffs”, the statement said.

It said that customers should know that the increase in tariffs was necessary for improvement of electricity infrastructure that had suffered decades of neglect.

“The increase will help to mitigate the negative cash flow and revenue shortfalls that have bedevilled the sector,” the statement said.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had approved electricity tariffs increase by between N9.60 and N14.80, effective February 1, 2016.

(NAN)