Nigerian Labour Congress Decries N8 Billion Allocation for Electricity Bill Sensitization in 2025 Budget
Background and Allocation
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticised the allocation of N8 billion in the 2025 federal budget for a nationwide campaign to sensitize Nigerians on the importance of paying their electricity bills. Describing the allocation as “absurd,” the NLC called for urgent reforms in the power sector to address deep-rooted issues.
The Federal Ministry of Power proposed the N8 billion budget to educate Nigerians about the importance of timely payment of electricity bills. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, revealed this initiative during his budget defence at the National Assembly. Adelabu emphasized that the campaign aims to tackle the persistent challenges of power theft, poor payment habits, and the need to protect national power assets.
Goals of the Campaign
According to Adelabu, the sensitization campaign will utilize various media platforms—social, digital, and print—to effectively reach Nigeria’s diverse population of over 200 million people. The minister stressed the need for a nationwide reorientation to change public perception and habits regarding the power sector. He pointed out that many Nigerians still fail to understand that electricity is not a free resource and that protecting the sector’s infrastructure is crucial for a stable power supply.
NLC’s Response
The NLC, however, vehemently opposed the proposed budget. In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the union criticized the Ministry of Power and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for their inefficiency and failure to find lasting solutions to the country’s power problems despite significant investments in the sector.
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Ajaero’s statement, titled “Before The Collapse Of The Power Sector: N8 Billion Budget For Electricity Bill Sensitization And Matters Arising,” highlighted the endemic corruption within the power sector. He accused the sector’s leaders of gross incompetence and lamented the frequent power grid collapses due to greed and mismanagement.
Call for Reforms
The NLC called on the Ministry of Power and NERC to reinvigorate the power sector and prevent its imminent collapse. The union warned that the continued mismanagement and waste of public funds would further erode public confidence in government institutions and worsen the socio-economic conditions facing millions of Nigerians.
Ajaero emphasized, “We will not stand idly by while public funds are wasted in the name of governance. This is another glaring reminder of why Nigeria remains in its current state of economic stagnation and why incompetence continues to thrive unchecked.”
Conclusion
As the debate over the N8 billion budget allocation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the federal government will address the concerns raised by the NLC and other stakeholders. The effectiveness of the proposed sensitization campaign and the broader reforms in the power sector will be crucial in determining the future stability and efficiency of Nigeria’s electricity supply.
