* IKEDC, IBEDC Begin Implementation For Elite Consumers
Following the recent hike in electricity Tariff by the federal government through the Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) life and activities have turned for worst on most university campuses, Metrobusinessnews.com (MBN) has gathered.
The University administrators, it was further gathered are complaining that the monthly electric bills have risen to over N200 million, a development that has compelled them to commence rationing of light to students.
This is even as Nigerian households are gasping for breadth following the hike as well as poor services by the distribution companies (DisCos).
Amid the complaints and hardship, the federal government has upped the tariff for band A Consumers.
Ikeja and Ibadan DisCos have notified their customers of compliance with the upward review to N209.5/kWh against the former N206.80/kWh, citing exchange rate challenges, among others
However, the 2-3-hour daily electricity on the campuses, between 9 pm and 12 midnights have not been adhered to, leading to students living without water for their personal use.
More worrisome is the fact that most students who rely on their phones for their notes are finding it difficult to prepare for second semester exams starting next week in some Universities.
Most students are agitated over the ugly situation on their campuses, predicting mass failure on the account of lack of preparation due to power shortage as well as harsh environment.
Also, the administrators have banned the use of electric stoves and all other electricity consuming appliances, yet the lights hardly come, brewing possible crisis.
Porters in some hotels have been mandated by the university authorities to confiscate all electric cookers, stoves and others, found in any of the hostels and as well report the students for punitive action.
A source at Unilorin told MBN that the students, who are starting their exams next week are running around within and outside the campuses where they could charge their phones as well get water for cooking.
Already students of University of Benin yesterday commenced the protest blocking the Benin/Ore highway over power outage in the institution’s campuses in Ugbowo and Ekhewan, Benin.
The university was thrown into darkness following its inability to reach an agreement with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company over perceived contentious electricity billing.
The students, who could not bear the resultant hardship from the outage any longer, decided to stage a protest on Wednesday morning by blocking the outbound route of the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
A protesting student who simply gave his name as John, said the one hour of electricity daily had become largely inadequate and had discouraged studying.
“We only have one hour of electricity every day since this issue started. We are tired of studying in the dark. We need electricity to read and prepare for our exams. The university management needs to take responsibility and fix this issue.” he said
A source in another University told MBN that the university authority has set up surveillance committee to monitor any likely crisis, while they keep promising the students that the situation will improve very soon.
However, the IKEDC announcement of an upward review of the electricity tariff for Band A customers was revealed in a statement shared on the company’s social media handle, where it said its customers will now pay N209.5/kWh instead of N206.80/kWh.
IKEDC, however, noted that the electricity tariffs for customers in Bands B, C, D and E “remain unchanged”
IKEDC, which serves parts of Lagos and Ogun states, also added that the new rate which is “in line with the service based tariff regime” is effective from July 1, 2024.
Similarly, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has told its Band A customers to brace up for an increment in tariff.
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The Acting Managing Director, IBEDC, Francis Agoha, stated this in a statement where he also confirmed the tariff hike was approved by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
According to a public notice he signed on Wednesday, the increment won’t affect consumers in Bands B, C, D, and E.
Agoha said, “Effective immediately, the tariff will be adjusted from N206.80/kWh to N209.50/kWh. This review has been duly approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as captured in the multi-year tariff supplementary order.
“The adjustment is necessitated by several key economic indices, including fluctuations in the exchange rate, the current inflation rate, available generation capacity, and the cost of gas. These factors have significantly impacted operational costs, and the new tariff will mitigate these financial pressures while continuing to deliver high-quality electricity services.
“It is important to note that this adjustment affects only our Band A customers. The tariffs for Bands B, C, D, and E remain unchanged. We remain committed to providing reliable and efficient electricity services to all our customers across different bands.
“We understand that any change in tariffs can be a concern for our customers, and we assure you that this adjustment is necessary to maintain and improve the quality of our services. Our goal is to ensure that you receive the best possible value for your money.”