Power Minister: Cheap electricity making Nigerians indulge in wasteful consumption

By Abubakar Yunusa

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has alleged that Nigerians lack a culture of managing power consumption due to its affordability.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Adelabu criticized Nigerians who leave their freezers and air conditioners running when they are not at home.
His words: “The bitter truth we all need to acknowledge as Nigerians is that only a few people are privileged to sit at the high table. We’re all on the same level, and we must be honest with ourselves,” he said.
“We lack a culture of consumption management when it comes to power, primarily because of the low tariffs we pay for electricity.
“Many people return from work and immediately switch on the AC to cool the room before they arrive, or they leave their freezers running for days without necessity, consuming unnecessary power just because the cost is low.
“We’ve all travelled overseas; we know how conscious electricity consumers are about managing their consumption.”
On April 3, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a widely condemned hike in electricity tariffs for customers classified under Band A.
According to the regulator, customers receiving 20 hours of electricity supply daily will now pay N225 per kilowatt (kW) from April 3, nearly tripling the previous rate of N66 per kilowatt (kW). The move has been greeted by widespread condemnation.
Nigerians have continued to groan about the fact that further hardship is been inflicted, just as they are grappling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal and the free floating of the national currency.