Despite Covid-19, FG subjects Nigerians to new electricity tariff – Minister

The Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, declared Tuesday in Abuja that the new increment on electricity tariff would take off in July.

He stated this at the investigative public hearing on Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact on COVID-19 pandemic, organised by the Senate Committee on Power.

The minister lamented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said had also affected the laid out plan for the repositioning of the electricity market towards financial sustainability under the power sector recovery programme.

According to him, the regulator, following the completion of public consultation on tariff review, had initially planned to conduct a tariff review in April 2020. 

However, he said due to the COVID-19 outbreak and customer apathy, the proposed tariff review was delayed by three months. 

He said, “The impact of this means the subsidy being incurred in maintaining the current tariff level had to be maintained till July 2020 when the proposed tariff review will be implemented. 

“The challenge we are currently facing in the development and expansion of our transmission line is the budget and release of the federal government’s commitment in the estimated sum of N32 billion primarily for right of way acquisition and environmental impact mitigation. 

“The fund should be provided for in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 appropriation of the Ministry of Power,” he added.

Sale also said that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a great economic impact – not just on the health Sector, but the overall economy of the country.  

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