Nigeria’s Electricity Cheaper Than Neighbouring African Countries – TCN Boss
- Says we supply 24-hour power to Togo, Benin, Niger
Amid repeated collapse of the National Grid in the last one week, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has boasted that the cost of energy in Nigeria is more affordable than several neighbouring African countries.
Explaining its claims that electricity in Nigeria remains relatively affordable compared to other African nations, Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, said; “Electricity is now expensive in Nigeria; we feel it is expensive because we are getting it at a cheaper price. If you go to other African countries… Nigeria is cheaper.”
Abdulaziz’s claim comes on the heels of recent hike in electricity tariffs in the country which took effect on April 3, 2024 in which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) raised the tariffs for consumers enjoying at least 20 hours of power daily with their classification under Band A.
Speaking on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Tonight, Abdulaziz, said despite the recent increase, the electricity price still remains lower compared to other West African nations like Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal
Abdulaziz claimed said Nigerians are currently paying more for electricity because power production is quite expensive, citing factors like the exchange rate and the cost of generation.
According to him; “Electricity is now expensive in Nigeria, we are feeling it is expensive because we are getting it at a cheaper price. If you go to other African countries… still, now, Nigeria is cheaper
“Nigerians are getting 24 hours supply (daily), it’s not everybody but those people on Band A, they get 20 to 22 hours”.
However, he said Nigeria has the capacity to achieve stable power supply within the next five years, noting that there has been lots of improvements in electricity supply over the last year.
“If you ask Nigerians, all of them know that there is improvement in power and this improvement is going to continue,” the TCN Boss said.
Interestingly, TCN Boss disclosed that Nigeria has continued to provide 24-hour electricity to neighbouring countries Togo, Benin, and Niger despite challenges in domestic power supply, saying; “We supply Togo, Benin, and Niger. They get power from Nigeria on a 24-hour basis, and they are paying for it.”
On why it has been difficult for many Nigerians to enjoy same uninterrupted power supply, the TCN Managing Director said; “Nigerians are getting 24-hour supply, but it’s not everyone. Those in Band A receive 20-22 hours of power supply.”
Abdulaziz expressed optimism about the country’s power supply situation, stating, “I am telling you we can get consistent power supply in less than five years. The new Minister is looking at the problems; he is not doing cosmetic showdowns.”
He emphasised that grid collapses are not solely the fault of TCN, explaining, “If there is a system collapse, it doesn’t mean all the problems are from TCN; it can be from generation, it can be from transmission, it can be from distribution… TCN are in charge of managing the grid.”
On the difference between the TCN and the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), he said; “People have to understand the difference between TCN and NEPA. When we were NEPA, we were the ones doing the generation, transmission, distribution, and marketing. But now we are only doing one leg, which is transmission. But there could be issues in all other sectors.”
Further highlighting infrastructure challenges, Abdulaziz lamented that most equipment used by TCN are outdated, adding; “Most of the equipment we use is over 50 years old”.
Meanwhile, the current hike has pushed the tariff from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from Nigerians due to the timing and economic hardship in the country.
For now, Nigerians have not stopped complaining about government policy of fuel subsidy removal that has seen the pump price of petrol skyrocketing to over N1000 while the prices of food stuffs keep going up daily with the traders blaming it on high cost of transportation.