The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to mobilise workers and citizens for a nationwide protest if the Federal Government proceeds with its proposed electricity tariff hike, labelling the move as “economic violence against the working class and broader Nigerian populace.” The NLC’s strong stance comes amid warnings from the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) that Nigerians should not be forced to pay for persistent darkness.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, on February 28, 2025, the NLC rejected what it described as a “sham reclassification” of electricity consumers by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The communiqué, made available to journalists on Sunday, accused the Ministry of Power and NERC of attempting to force consumers into higher tariff bands under the guise of service improvement, a move the NLC claims will only deepen economic hardship.
“The ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, are determined to further deepen the misery of the Nigerian people through incessant tariff hikes, increased taxation, and relentless economic strangulation,” the statement read. The NEC resolved that “any attempt to impose additional electricity tariffs would be met with mass resistance.” It mandated its National Administrative Council to begin immediate mobilisation for protests, warning that the government must not test the patience of the Nigerian people.
Beyond electricity, the NLC also expressed concerns over the recent 35 per cent increase in telecommunications tariffs. While the congress acknowledged an agreement with the Federal Government to reduce the initial proposed hike from 50 per cent to 35 per cent, it remained skeptical of the government’s commitment to keeping its word. The union warned that if the new telecom tariffs, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, are implemented contrary to the agreed terms, it would enforce compliance using all necessary instruments.
The NLC emphasised that Nigerian workers should not bear the brunt of corporate and government inefficiencies. Its stance on electricity tariffs has been reinforced by workers in the power sector, who have also rejected the reclassification of consumers. The electricity workers’ union described the move as an exploitative agenda designed to force Nigerians into paying more without any corresponding improvement in service delivery.
The NUEE was reacting to a disclosure by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, that the government was planning to regularise electricity tariffs in Bands A, B, and C to address disparities in the current billing system and attract more investments to the power sector. The union questioned the minister’s priorities, asking whether tariff hikes should take precedence over improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the power sector.
A statement by the acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, noted, “The National Union of Electricity Employees, as a critical stakeholder in the power industry, cannot sit on the fence without stating our stance and proffering the best solution to this issue.” The union highlighted that the justification given by NERC for the 2024 electricity hike was that it only affected Band A consumers, who make up 15 per cent of electricity consumers but utilise 40 per cent of the nation’s electricity consumption. However, the union argued that the general public, as end-users of Band A products and services, would indirectly bear the brunt of the hike.
“We asked some salient questions in our publication of April 14, 2024: Who are the Band A consumers? What do they do? Who bears the brunt of the electricity hike? The general public is the one that will be most affected by this. They are the customers and end-users of the Band A products and services. The additional costs will be transferred to the common man, so they are indirectly being exploited, notwithstanding their dwindling purchasing power and increasing impoverishment,” the union stated.
The NUEE further criticised the minister’s focus on increasing tariffs rather than addressing the sector’s inefficiencies. While acknowledging the financial challenges facing the power sector, the union described the proposed tariff hike as a move that would exacerbate poverty rather than alleviate it.
The PUNCH reports that the tariff hike proposed by Adelabu seeks to align tariffs for customers in the Band B and C categories with the N206/KWh rate paid by Band A customers. However, this plan has been met with opposition from power consumers and members of the Organised Private Sector, who question the government’s rationale for continuously hiking the cost of commodities across various sectors of the economy.
As tensions rise, the NLC and NUEE remain resolute in their opposition to the electricity tariff hike, warning of widespread protests and sectoral disruptions if the government fails to reconsider its plans.
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