Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has instructed electricity distribution companies (Discos) to downgrade customers in Band A if they cannot provide the promised 20 hours of daily electricity supply.
This directive was disclosed by Dafe Akpeneye, NERC’s Commissioner for Licensing and Legal, during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday.
Akpeneye explained that the downgrade should align with the level of supply the Discos can reliably provide.
“With regards to the migration order, it is not elective to the instance of the customer. The Disco needs to make an application and ensure that they can supply power to customers in Band A.
“If Discos can’t supply such customers, the Discos have to downgrade such customers to meet what they can provide,” Akpeneye stated.
He further noted that Discos distribute only what is available on the grid.
“When there is no supply to the grid, the Discos can’t meet those supply commitments. But the grid has been resolved, and we hope supply can improve. When they can’t, the Discos have to downgrade such customers,” he added.
Speaking on the states’ regulatory powers over electricity, Akpeneye highlighted that the Nigerian Constitution now enables states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently.
“States can now establish electricity markets and regulate them by the Nigerian Constitution. States now have powers for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution within the states without restrictions.
“We should bear in mind that Nigeria is a country of laws. The Nigerian law states that the states have the power to establish and regulate electricity markets.
“The states also now have exclusive powers over distribution as seen in the concurrent list,” Akpeneye explained.
He cited Oyo State as an example, noting that the state has begun capacity-building initiatives to prepare for its regulatory responsibilities.
Addressing issues around customer complaints, Akpeneye emphasised that NERC has a consolidated customer protection regulation to ensure fair redress.
“Before a customer can have their complaints addressed by NERC, they first have to lodge a complaint at the Discos. If the Disco doesn’t respond at a specific time, you can now approach a small mediatory group called the consumer forum of NERC for redress,” he said.
Akpeneye assured that NERC prioritises fair resolution of complaints, whether related to overbilling or meter bypass cases.
“We always ensure that customers get a fair resolution. Where a customer has been overbilled, they get fair redress. But when customers bypass meters, we also make sure the case gets addressed appropriately,” he concluded.