The Federal Government has said that the cost of electricity consumption in Nigeria is the cheapest and most defaulted by consumers in the world.
The Minister of State for Power, Abubakar Aliyu, made this known on Thursday in Abuja during an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Power and heads of various agencies in the power sector.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday during an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Power and heads of various agencies in the power sector.
“The cost of electricity in Nigeria is the cheapest across the globe, particularly gas to power, which is highly subsidised.
“For example, while the cost of electricity in Nigeria is 15 cent per kilowatt, it is 42 cent in Niger Republic, 23 cent in Republic of Benin, 25 cent in Mali, 28 cent in Senegal, and 27 cent in Burkina Faso,” he said.
Managing Director, of Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sulyman Abdulaziz, said the high rate of default in payment of electricity bills by critical government agencies led to the disconnection of Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in Kaduna and Kano from the national grid recently.
He said though they had been temporarily reconnected, payment must be made to TCN within the 60 days’ grace given.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Gabriel Suswam, and members suggested that the finance ministry deduct from the source the electricity bills of defaulting agencies.
Suswam said one of the complaints made by the DISCOs, particularly those in Kaduna and Kano, was the enormous debt incurred by consumers.
“The DISCOs, as stated in the written complaint, specifically mentioned military formations across the country, educational institutions, and state governments, among others,” he said.
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