NLC President Joe Ajaero has criticized Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu over discriminatory electricity band classifications, calling them fraudulent. He questioned the criteria for migrating users between bands and condemned government support for private power firms in the budget. Ajaero urged equitable power distribution and transparency in Nigeria’s electricity sector.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has expressed strong disapproval of the electricity band system and the Ministry of Power’s plans to migrate customers between bands. During an interview, Ajaero described the system as discriminatory and labeled the migration plans exploitative.
Electricity bands in Nigeria categorize customers based on the number of daily power supply hours they receive. Band A users reportedly enjoy up to 20 hours of electricity daily, while lower bands receive progressively fewer hours, with Band E getting a minimum of four hours. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recently claimed that 90% of Band A customers were satisfied with their supply and announced plans to migrate more users to Band A.
Ajaero questioned the system's fairness, asking why some areas are prioritized over others. He criticized the lack of transparency in determining band classifications and accused the government of using the migration plans to generate revenue unfairly. According to him, such a system is not aligned with global standards, where the goal is typically 24-hour power supply for all.
The NLC President also criticized the inclusion of funds for privately-owned power distribution companies in the federal budget. He argued that these companies should independently manage their operations rather than relying on government support.
