Incessant grid collapse: justify your decision to increase electricity tariff – experts tell federal government

Specialists in the energy sector are calling on the administration led by President Bola Tinubu to validate its recent choice to elevate electricity tariffs, by guaranteeing that the national grids are restored to avert further failures.

After the sixth failure of the nation’s national grid in 2024, which took place in the early hours of Monday, large areas of the country, including regions in Lagos and Abuja, encountered a total blackout.

In conversations with NAIJATAB, Kelechukwu Ogu highlighted the necessity for the federal government to honor its pledges to ensure a better energy supply for consumers.

“The repeated grid failures not only discourage investors but also do not provide a rationale for the government’s decision to increase electricity tariffs for band A customers,” Mr. Ogu commented.

Resonating similar thoughts, Shina Emmanuel, an economic analyst, pointed out the ineffectiveness of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in managing grid failures, casting doubt on the government’s rationale for tariff hikes.

Mr. Emmanuel urged the government to prioritize the restoration of the national grid to avoid future breakdowns.

“When the tariff increase was declared, it was presented as a strategy to improve power supply. However, with the frequent grid disruptions, Nigerians might view this assurance as mere rhetoric. I recommend the government to genuinely tackle grid issues to validate its tariff hike decision,” he noted.