A coalition of labour unions and civil society organisations has decried Nigeria’s worsening electricity crisis, urging the Nigerian Senate to convene a public hearing on the sector’s performance since its privatisation in 2013.
In a letter dated January 27, 2025, addressed to Senate President Dr. Godswill Akpabio, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), and the Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF) expressed concerns over the sector’s failure to meet the energy needs of over 230 million Nigerians.
This urgent plea follows a symposium held in Lagos in December 2024, where experts rigorously analysed the Senate Committee on Power findings concerning persistent grid failures and systemic challenges.
Despite the purported benefits of privatising the electricity sector, power generation remains erratic, fluctuating between 4,000 and 5,800 megawatts, and frequent grid collapses embarrass the nation.
The groups argued that the electricity reforms have failed and that the government must take urgent action to address the inefficiencies.
The coalition criticised the rising electricity tariffs and the classification of Nigerians into different electricity bands, which they claimed has created a class divide and forced citizens to rely on expensive, polluting generators.
“The hike in electricity tariffs and the balkanization of Nigerians into electricity bands, suggesting who should get electricity the most, has equally created an unnecessary class system in the society. As a result of these, Nigerians are forced to depend on electric generators at huge financial, environmental and health costs,” they said.
They urged the Senate to immediately convene a Public Hearing and invite Nigerians to relate their experiences in the last 12 years of the electricity sector privatisation.
The groups also demanded “a halt to World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggested initiatives on privatising Nigeria’s public assets under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) or any model that places profits over service delivery and human rights.
“The adoption of the Public-Public-Partnership model, which has proven to be successful as against privatisation, which is inefficient and has become a conduit pipe to fleece the nation, as well as sustained investment in human capital development in the public sector to pave the way for efficiency and transparency in their operations.”
In addition, they are calling for an end to practices that unfairly target workers, adding that workers should be regularly trained and rated based on performance.
With millions of Nigerians still suffering from unreliable power supply, the coalition insists that the time for action is now. They stress that without immediate intervention, the nation’s energy crisis will continue to stifle economic growth and burden citizens.