The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the Federal Government’s plan to increase electricity tariffs for customers in Bands A, B, and C. The NLC claims this move will impose more hardship on citizens, especially since inflation is already high and wages are stagnant.
In a communique released after the National Executive Council meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, the NLC vowed to lead mass nationwide protests if the government continues with its plan. The labour union specifically rejected the “forceful migration” of consumers from lower bands to Band A, calling it “economic violence” against the working class and Nigerian populace.
The NLC also criticized the Ministry of Power and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for their role in the planned tariff hike. The labour union accused them of sanctioning “systematic exploitation” and “unjustified extortion” on the masses. This development comes after the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced plans to upgrade lower bands to Band A. The NLC has warned that any attempt to increase electricity tariffs will be met with “mass resistance”.
The electricity tariff hike is part of a broader trend of increasing energy costs in Nigeria. In 2024, NERC approved an upward review of electricity prices, with a unit of power costing about N250 for Band A customers.
