A non-governmental organisation, Consumer Rights Advancement Organisation (CRADO) has revealed information that is sure to take Nigerians by surprise.
According to the consumer rights group, prior to the February 1, 2016, upward review of electricity tariffs, Nigerians had been paying the highest tariff pay kilowatt in Africa.
Daily Sun quotes CRADO President, Mr. Adeolu Ogunbanjo as saying that, “Incontrovertibly, before this increment, Nigerians have been paying the highest tariff per kilowatt in Africa and contiguous regions. We pay higher than Egypt and countries with stronger economies.”
In the upward review by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), many Nigerians found to their horror they had to pay almost double the amount they had been paying before the increment, despite the inability of the distribution companies (DISCOs) to provide pre-paid metres and even provide stable electricity.
Ogunbanjo added: “As there has been no significant improvement in service delivery, most consumers are also not metered in accordance with the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of November 1, 2013, which stipulates that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers must have been metered.
There are meter manufacturers in Nigeria producing all types of meters, various types of smart meters and transformers with the approval of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). It is highly unlawful and a flagrant abuse of consumer rights, for electricity consumers to pay the new tariff before getting the meters.
“Why should electricity tariff increase when the extant law for such increment was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005?”
The NGO called on the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to ensure compliance with a Federal High Court judgement in Lagos on May 28, 2015, which ruled that there should be no increase in tariffs.
CRADO called on the Federal Government to inject more funds into the power sector to ensure that power generation hits 7,500 megawatts.