The House of Representatives has urged the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) not to approve increase in electricity tariff in Nigeria.

Adopting a motion by a member from Kano state, Mr Aliyu Madaki, the House mandated the Committee on Power (when constituted) to interface with NERC to address the proposed increase in the interest of Nigerians.

Leading the debate, Mr Madaki, said recently Distribution Companies (DISCOS) alerted customers of a planned electricity tariff hike hinged on the Multi-Year Tariff Oder (MYTO).

The Lawmaker said under the planned hike, customers with prepaid meters, within ‘B’ and ‘C’ with supply hours ranging from 12–16 hours per day will pay N100 per KWh, while Bands ‘A’ with 20 hours and above and ‘B’ with 16-20 hours, would experience comparatively higher tariffs.

He also said those on post-rand (estimated) billing, would also expect significant increment.

Mr Madaki expressed concern that the proposed increase was coming despite the inability of the operators to supply at least 5,000 megawatts per year after signing the contract with the NERC.

According to him, it is inappropriate to come up with a price increase at a time when Nigerians are still battling with increase in petrol price.

Contributing to the debate, Mr Babajimi Benson from Lagos state, argued that the DISCOS and GENCOS should be invited to hear their own side of the story, due to the rise in the price of production and exchange rate.

Bamidele Salaam from Osun state emphasised the need for the government to improve workers welfare to enable them to afford the new hike rather than stop it.

Adopting the motion, the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the meeting referred to committee on power when constituted