Controversy continues to trail the decision of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to hike electricity tariff. As the decision to remove subsidies for 15% of electricity consumers in Nigeria continues to spark more anger, an energy expert Adetunji Adeyeye has begged to differ. In a recent interview with ARISE NEWS, Adetunji Adeyeye, an Energy Lawyer addressed these concerns.
He commended NERC’s decision, stating, “The action of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory to remove subsidy for 15% of the electricity consumers in Nigeria is bold, decisive, and intentional. It is the right step for us to have efficiency in our power sector.”
Adeyeye further explained that the power sector’s main issues are the inadequate infrastructural backbone and incorrect pricing.
He emphasized, “It’s not that we don’t have the capacity to produce adequate or sufficient amounts of electricity that we need in this country, it’s just that the price has not been right to drive the investment that will give us this power.”
He expressed confidence in NERC’s ability to oversee and enforce compliance, ensuring that Nigerians receive the full benefit of the electricity they pay for.
“NERC is not only there to check the data but also to make sure that performance is given and is driven by both operators and that the consumer enjoys the benefit of service that they are being paid for,” he said.
Adeyeye also highlighted the challenges in the power sector related to generation. He noted that these challenges are solvable and are actively being addressed by the government.
However, he stressed that solving these issues would require a long-term, marathon-like approach rather than a quick fix.
He express optimism that NERC’s action would enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s power sector and increase electricity generation.
“This step that NERC has taken is the step that will bring all effort to begin to align to a better efficient power sector in Nigeria. With this sort of right pricing, I think generation volume will go up,” he said.
