FG clarifies no immediate electricity subsidy removal or tariff hike after Tegbe comments
The Federal Government has clarified that there is no immediate plan to remove electricity subsidies or increase tariffs, following reports that subsidies in the power sector could be phased out from 2027.
The clarification came after comments attributed to the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, who spoke about addressing distortions in the electricity sector as part of broader reforms aimed at financial sustainability. The government later distanced itself from any suggestion that an immediate subsidy removal or tariff increase had been approved.
The minister subsequently stated that no policy decision had been taken to raise tariffs or scrap subsidies. He said the administration’s immediate priorities remained improving power supply, expanding metering, strengthening the transmission network and stabilising the national grid.
The episode has generated debate among analysts and consumers over what some describe as frequent policy reversals. Political scientist Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge of the University of Kano described the step-back as politically motivated, suggesting the discussion could resurface after elections. He argued that citizens possess significant power to influence policy but often fail to exercise it effectively.
Electricity experts cautioned that removing subsidies without fixing fundamental problems would simply raise costs for consumers without guaranteeing better supply. Engr Jaafar Sulaiman noted that generation, transmission and efficient use must all function together, and that finance alone cannot solve the sector’s challenges.
For small business owners in Kano, the subsidy debate is secondary to daily unreliability. Cold-drink seller Sa’idu Bala Mainkanti said electricity often arrives after shops have closed. Hairdresser Fatima Abdul said high bills and poor supply had forced her business onto a generator, adding that constant policy shifts left ordinary people feeling like spectators rather than participants in decisions that affect their livelihoods.
The clarification removes the immediate threat of higher tariffs. It does not resolve the underlying structural weaknesses—insufficient generation, constrained transmission and weak commercial performance—that keep supply unreliable and costs high. Until those constraints are addressed, debates about subsidy timing will continue to collide with the lived experience of businesses and households that need power during working hours rather than policy statements.
