Power Minister Joseph Tegbe says Nigeria’s federal government will not raise electricity tariffs above their present level, as generation has held at about 5,000 megawatts for the past two weeks.
Key takeaways
- The administration is prioritising better service, broader electricity access and accurate billing.
- Officials want customers to pay only for the power recorded by their meters.
- The government’s stated goal is dependable electricity supply for households nationwide.
- Comments by presidential adviser Sadiq Wanka have intensified speculation about another tariff increase.
- Electricity users in Nigeria have opposed the proposed rise.
Government sets out electricity priorities
Tegbe made the remarks at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday. He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was concentrating on improving the quality of supply, extending connections to more Nigerians and establishing a system in which consumers are charged for their actual usage.
The minister also pointed to recent progress in output from the national power system. Generation, he said, had remained consistently at 5,000MW during the preceding two weeks, an indication that supply conditions were beginning to improve.
Addressing the public debate over electricity pricing, Tegbe said the government had no immediate intention of lifting tariffs beyond their existing level. He argued that the near-term focus should instead be on strengthening service, achieving universal metering and preventing customers from paying for power they did not receive or use.
“Our immediate priority is not a higher tariff,” Tegbe said in substance, adding that the administration wanted Nigerians to be billed strictly on measured consumption.
Tariff debate continues
Tegbe said the broader federal objective was to deliver stable electricity to homes throughout the country. He described the government’s ambition as providing reliable power capable of supporting households nationwide.
His statement comes as a renewed dispute over a possible electricity tariff increase has emerged, following remarks by Sadiq Wanka, the president’s Special Adviser on Power Infrastructure. Nigerian power consumers have rejected the proposed tariff hike.
