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DISCOs Make U-Turn on Tariff Hike, Say NERC Yet to Give Approval

Published

3 years ago

June 27, 2023

Eric

Power distribution companies, on Monday, backtracked on their earlier announcement of a tariff hike projected to take effect from July 1, 2023, as they stated that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had yet to approve the hike.

Various public notices from some of the Discos seen on Sunday had stated that the electricity tariff would be raised by about 30 to 40 per cent for selected categories of consumers on July 1, 2023.

In a public service announcement from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, for instance, the Disco had said, “Effective July 1, 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review to the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.

“Under the MYTO (Multi Year Tariff Order) 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption”

But in an appeal by the same AEDC, issued on Monday, the firm asked its customers to disregard the planned tariff increase as approval for such an increment had not been received.

“Please disregard the circulating communication, regarding the review of electricity tariffs. Be informed that no approval for such increments has been received. We regret any inconvenience,” the AEDC stated in its latest announcement.

A senior official in NERC confirmed that the regulator had not given the Discos approval to announce the hike in tariffs.

“The commission did not give them such approval,” the official, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of approval, stated.

Reacting to the development, a former spokesperson of the AEDC and seasoned expert in the sector, Olabode Fadipe, said, “NERC never publishes any position or makes any official statement. It is the Discos that does that. Once the Discos receive approval from NERC, they effect the adjustment straightaway.

“Discos perhaps got approval for 1st July and chose to put their customers on notice only to be told that their action was hasty. That end users have been told to ignore the message does not mean that the increase won’t be affected.”

Although The PUNCH later reached out to a spokesperson for Ikeja Electric, Ayeni Akinola, who described the initial trending circular as “fake”, the circular advised customers with prepaid meters to purchase energy units in bulk before the price increment takes effect from July 1.

“If you have a prepaid meter, buying bulk energy units for your home or office before the end of the month may help you make some savings before you have to buy at the new rate.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August,” it stated.

The PUNCH also reached out to the Assistant Manager Communications, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Mary Anavhe, who dismissed an imminent increase in tariffs.

The Punch

Featured

Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.