ActionAid Nigeria has warned that the proposed hike in electricity tariff will further erode the purchasing power of Nigerian workers and deepen poverty in the country.
The non-for-profit organization gave this warning in a statement issued on Tuesday.
It said the directive given by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to increase their tariffs from September 2021 is insensitive to the plights of Nigerians.
The Country Director, Ene Obi, noted that many Nigerian electricity consumers have suffered the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.
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She said, “The increase is not only ill-timed but insensitive to the precarious plight of Nigerians whose lean disposable incomes are already decapitated.”
While noting that more than 100 million Nigerians live below the poverty line in the country, she urged NERC to compel all the actors in the electricity sector to ensure increased efficiency in the power sector to boost the country’s economy.
