The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the Federal Government’s plan to regularise electricity tariffs for customers in Bands A, B, and C.

In a communiqué issued on Sunday following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, the labour union vowed to lead mass nationwide protests if the government proceeds with the plan.

Last Thursday, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced that lower bands would be upgraded to Band A. However, in its communiqué, signed by NLC General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union condemned the “forced migration” of consumers from lower bands to Band A.

“On the migration of electricity consumers with the aim of increasing tariffs, NEC unequivocally rejects the ongoing sham reclassification of electricity consumers by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). This move seeks to forcibly migrate consumers from lower bands to Band A under the pretext of service improvement, while in reality imposing unjustified extortion on the masses,” the NLC stated.

“This systematic exploitation, sanctioned by the Ministry of Power, amounts to economic violence against the working class and the broader Nigerian populace.

“It is evident that the ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, are determined to deepen the suffering of Nigerians through incessant tariff hikes, increased taxation, and relentless economic hardship.

“With inflation soaring, stagnant wages, and the rising cost of living, the ruling class continues to shift the burden of fiscal irresponsibility onto an already impoverished workforce.

“The NEC-in-session warns that any attempt to implement further electricity tariff increases will be met with mass resistance. Consequently, the Congress has resolved to mobilise for a nationwide protest should the Ministry of Power and NERC proceed with their exploitative plans under any guise.

“The NLC will not stand idly by while Nigerians are subjected to the machinations of capitalist profiteers and their state collaborators.”

For decades, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has grappled with intractable energy challenges, exacerbated by an erratic power supply that significantly hampers productivity. Despite the privatisation of the electricity sector, power generation, transmission, and distribution remain plagued by policy inconsistencies, low investment, and operational inefficiencies.

In 2024, NERC approved an upward review of electricity tariffs, with a unit of power costing approximately N250 for Band A customers. The cost of petrol and diesel—widely used alternatives—has also increased fivefold, compounding the difficulties faced by consumers. In the same year, NERC granted several state electricity regulatory commissions licences to oversee power plants and distribution networks.