Less than 24 hours after a hike in electricity tariff, Nigeria’s power minister Adebayo Adelabu said Nigerians were responsible for the epileptic power supply in the country.
Adebayo said many people took advantage of the cheap tariff to waste power supply.
READ ALSO: List of Lagos areas on Band A to enjoy 20hrs electricity
“We must tell the truth to ourselves,” Adelabu said in Abuja. “We don’t have the culture of consumption management in this country in terms of (electricity) power just because of the cheapness of the tariff we pay.”
The Nigerian government announced a 200% hike in electricity tariff for some consumers on Thursday amid a paltry electricity supply below 5,000 megawatts. Distribution companies (DisCos) will be allowed to raise electricity prices to N225 per kilowatt-hour from N68.
Business owners and analysts said the move will further cut the slim survival rate of an average business and the disposable income of many homes struggling to survive the current economic situation.
Electricity distribution companies classified electricity users along the categories of Band A, B, C, D, and E. Each category has a tariff and specified duration of power supply assigned to it daily.
Only customers in Band A will be affected by the hike.
READ ALSO: Nigerians outraged by electricity tariff hike
The minister said the hike would address the issue of liquidity affecting the power sector, and disclosed that power supply would still be subsidised for 85 percent of consumers.
However, he said the mismanagement of electricity by Nigerians was the cause of the unstable power supply.
“A lot of people come back from work – they want to serve dinner or play with some friends down the road, they switch on the AC (air conditioner) to be cooling before they come back,” Adelabu said.
“Some people are going to work in the morning. A freezer that has been on for days, they leave it on when all the times in it is already frozen and about 5/6/8 hours of their items may not need to be freezed, they would still leave it just because we are not paying enough.”
Before the announcement of the tariff hike, Nigerians daily complained about little or no electricity power supply to their homes and businesses where there is heavy reliance on the use of petrol-powered generator sets – an option being explored by only a few due to a spiking poverty rate at 40.1%
Many Nigerian households already had a taste of the toughest hardships ever faced in more than 20 years after the inflation rate jumped to 29.90% in January 2024. The cost of living has more than tripled in the last 10 months.
Nigeria’s opposition leader Atiku Abubakar said the hike in electricity tariff “will create more difficulties for the citizens as inflationary pressures are elevated” and predicted that Nigeria’s manufacturing sector will be impacted negatively.
The tariff hike has been met with stiff opposition by Nigerians – many who are calling on President Bola Tinubu to sack Adelabu who they said his six month tenure as minister has ushered Nigerian homes and businesses into more “darkness” in the absence of “light” – electricity power supply.
Adelabu is not doing himself, his governorship ambitions, and this Tinubu administration any good by remaining the Minister of Power. He needs to resign that position.
— Pastor Who (@PastorMarvy) April 5, 2024
I'm not capping, this Bayo Adelabu guy is worst ever minister of power Nigeria has ever had. He is just saying gibberish here, or better still, I'd say he is saying sour nonsense, not any bitter truth like he opined. Oyo State dodged a bullet by ditching him for Seyi Makinde in… pic.twitter.com/GiJDYbgt3m
— Olamide Obe (@olajideobe) April 5, 2024
“Tinubu has the penchant of discovering talent”
This is worst Minister of Power in the history of Nigeria. Look at what the empty brain talent is saying?
“We need to tell ourselves the bitter truth as Nigerians: we don’t have consumption management in this country. Some people… pic.twitter.com/Mi7VuDOxmp
— Tosin Olugbenga (@TosinOlugbenga) April 5, 2024
@officialABAT, remove the Ibadan man you appointed as power Minister now! He should not even have a place at the next FEC meeting
— Dee!✨ (@TemmieD1) April 5, 2024
You saw your MINISTER OF POWER holding a powerbank, you no go buy your own
You've forgotten that IKU TO PA OJUGBA ENI, OWE LO N PA FUN NI…
The death that killed your close neighbor is only sending a proverb to you..Better go and buy powerbank
Dey there dey expect…— OLU (@Uncle_Olu_) April 5, 2024
Adelabu will go viral for the wrong reasons again. The appointment is a poisoned chalice. He really should not try to be Governor in 2027 IMO.
— Ayobami (@dondekojo) April 5, 2024
If the country had steady electricity and people only pay for what they use, the Minister of Power wouldn’t need to go on air to make such a foolish statement asking people to turn off their freezers and ACs.
Bayo Adelabu went to school I guess? Oyo people is this your best?
— Slimfit (@iSlimfit) April 5, 2024
Dear Minister @BayoAdelabu
This your carrot and stick approach is illogical. I don’t know if you’ve done your research well, but within few hours here’s what I found.-Out of the 42 million households in
-Only 25% of this household uses AC
-Only 22% of this household uses… pic.twitter.com/QvsleJFpT1
— Ainà Dipo (@dipoaina1) April 5, 2024
If I were his adviser, I’d tell him, “egbon, please save your money”. But I also know he’d end up advising me myself and I. Lol. Ki Oluwa wa pelu wa. https://t.co/hq5zU7ff6b
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) April 5, 2024
So your country's Minister of Power said his biggest problem at the moment is people leaving their fridges on whilst at work, right
Anyway Tinubu hasn't arrived yet
DJ, please play me "Becos of Big Bum Bum, you want to die there"
— Baron Chymaker. (@chymaker) April 5, 2024
Countries that don’t have half the natural resources we have are experiencing 24 hours power supply. In Nigeria, our Minister of Power is telling us to turn off our freezers at Night to manage the 2 hours of light
Nigeria is not a real place
— FS Yusuf (@FS_Yusuf_) April 5, 2024
Minister of Power, by the Power of God your tenure will not be longer than band E
— Sadiq (@Abubakar_Mhmmad) April 5, 2024
Minister of Power finally fall my hand. All those degrees and exposure to be saying nonsense? Oyo People really jumped a gun in my opinion
— Prince Adedoyin B. Alatishe. (@AAAlatishe) April 5, 2024
That Minister of Power though, on what grounds was he nominated?
If we had 247 electricity, I’ll pay for what I consume but you’re telling people to switch their freezer off when they hardly even get power. We should be more focused on getting better with electricity and not…
— Olúmáyòwá.dev (@akintunero) April 5, 2024
Electricity in SA is N147 per kWh. Their minimum wage is N312,000
In Calgary, Canada it is N122 per kWh their minimum wage is N2.3 million
In Nigeria, its N225 per kWh our minimum wage is N30,000
In a sane country, the minister of power would resign, but knacking is trending.
— Mazi Nathan (@rukky_nate) April 5, 2024
The truth is that you cannot disagree with Odanz on this. Infact, one of the first things we noticed under Buhari Presidency was steady power supply & it stretched till the end of his tenure (as bad as it was). Everything went from 90 to 0 immediately BAT & Lagos boys came in. https://t.co/bBj0W05APq
— Dee!✨ (@TemmieD1) April 5, 2024
