No plan to increase electricity tariff — FG

The Federal Government has no plan to increase electricity tariffs, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has said, urging Nigerians to disregard misinformation about a possible increase.

Tegbe spoke on Thursday in Ibadan during the groundbreaking ceremony for five interconnected mini-grid projects with a combined capacity of 17.7 megawatts and a 17.74 megawatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

The projects are expected to serve communities across Akinyele, Ido, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Lagelu local government areas of Oyo State.

Addressing the power sector, the minister said the administration was focused on providing reliable electricity around the clock.

“Let me use this opportunity to address the misinformation currently circulating, and to urge all Nigerians to disregard it. I want to say this clearly and without ambiguity: there is no plan to increase electricity tariffs,” Tegbe declared.

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He added: “What we are planning is a power sector that works around the clock. Our commitment is 24/7 power, and we are starting with three Energy Zones: Lagos-Ogun corridor; Abuja–Kaduna–Kano corridor; and Benin-Enugu– Port Harcourt corridor.”

Tegbe said the government’s electricity plans would extend beyond the three energy zones to cover all parts of the country.

“We have a plan to build out and improve the national grid, covering both the eastern and western corridors of the entire country, including the generation and transmission nodes from the North to the South through the central corridor across strategic locations including Funtua, Kainji, Gwagwalada, Gombe, Makurdi, Ajaokuta, Ikot Ekpene, Benin and Egbin,” Tegbe stated.

He said the strategy was designed to extend improved power stability and reliability to every part of Nigeria, making round-the-clock electricity a national reality in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Representing the president, Tegbe formally flagged off the development of the five mini-grid projects: Bola, Jiboye, Molade-Adelubi, Ogo Oluwa and Sooko-elega. The projects have a combined capacity of 17.7 megawatts.

He expressed hope that the projects would be completed safely and successfully, improve livelihoods and create new opportunities for residents.

The event was attended by officials of the Rural Electrification Agency, the World Bank, project developer Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Limited, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, the Oyo State Government, traditional rulers and community leaders.