On Monday, organized labor began a nationwide demonstration against the federal government’s elimination of subsidies from the power sector and hike in electricity tariffs.
In different interviews with Punch, National Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim, and National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Olatunji Ambali, verified this.
They insisted on rolling back the tariff increase to the time of subsidies.
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Abuja headquarters, the Ministry of Power, and state offices of power distribution corporations are anticipated to close as a result of the labor action.
At a press conference in Abuja on April 3, the NERC revealed that Band A consumers would henceforth pay N225 per kilowatt-hour, instead of the prior rate of N68/kWh, for energy.
The gain amounted to a 240% rise.
With this event, customers in the Band A category—who made up around 15% of all 12.82 million electricity consumers nationwide—had their tariff subsidies removed.
The government announced that the decision became operative on April 3, 2024, and that Band A consumers will have access to power for up to 20 hours every day.
Nonetheless, a reversal of the raise to the subsidy era pricing was urged by the House of Representatives, organized labor, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, electrical customers, and civil society organizations.
