KEY POINTS
- Despite the fact that there power generation and distribution has improved Minister of Power, Chief Adelabu indicated that there are plans to reduce the tariff being charged to consumers.
- This section provides a summary of the cost structures of electricity in Nigeria compared to some African neighbors revealing a misconception of the perceived high costs.
- Power ministry to partner with National Lottery Trust Fund for solar energy training in villages.
Preparations ongoing currently in Nigeria seems to have clear indications that the electricity tariffs can be brought down. These in a statement released by the Minister through his Special Adviser on Strategic Communication and Media, Mr. Bolaji Tunji during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Mr. Tosin Adeyanju.
Presently, customers in Band-A are charged ₦206.5 per kilowatt per hour after the Federal Government took its decision to remove subsidies in order to ensure that electricity consumers would receive 20 hours power supply daily. Chief Adelabu said today 40% of the customers are enjoying this kind of service, the average in power generation is 5,500 mega watts. He explained that electricity is cheaper in Nigeria than it is in other African countries including Togo, Mali and Niamey Niger Republic. But he agreed to the argument that high costs are perceived by most consumers in Nigeria due to low income earned in the country.
Tariff reduction in correlation with generation
Of major interest, the Minister voiced hope that electricity tariffs could also be brought down in the future, as generation and distribution capacities are bolstered. However, Adelabu said it is still cheaper to use electricity than to run generators on petrol or diesel; said there was a lot of efficiency that could be achieved in the sector to ensure costs are reduced for consumers.
The Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Tosin Adeyanju proposed prayers to Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Secretary to the Osun state Government and hailed Adelabu as a ‘performing minister’ particularly in the power sector . According to Adeyanju, this is reversing the situation and the increase in electricity supply has made more people to stop substituting with solar, as power is now more available.
Partnership for renewable energy and youths participation
Adeyanju briefed the Minister, who has been a darling of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on how the agency was set to drive renewable energy to rural populace in order to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Tinubu. The plan will entail educating youths in the said regions on how to manufacture one kilowatt of solar energy and thereby making them get employments, thereby solving the issue of unemployment among the youths.
According to Vanguard, This is why we have approached you to offer partnership in training our rural people especially the youths on assembling of units in solar power. This will assist in creating employment for those with skill such as hairdressing, welding, and vulcanizing,” Adeyanju said. Optimizing the productivity of rural youths and also tackling issues to do with unemployment is the general goal of the partnership.
The proposed partnership is part of a process to embrace the policy of President Tinubu to address unemployment in the rural areas and among youth equipping them with basic skills in renewable energy, both, national security necessities.
