The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has revealed that many Nigerians in rural communities are enjoying stable electricity and are willing to pay for it – sometimes even more than what Band A consumers are charged.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Aliyu said some rural areas currently pay tariffs as high as ₦250 to ₦280 per kilowatt-hour.
“There are communities where the tariff is actually higher than Band A,” he explained. “But it all depends on the cost of the infrastructure deployed in those places. They pay for power and they enjoy it. Of course, there are also areas where the tariff is lower than Band A – it varies.”
According to him, the REA relies heavily on solar energy as a more affordable and sustainable model for powering rural areas. He added that the agency has already completed several mini-grids and interconnected mini-grids across universities and general hospitals in all six geopolitical zones.
Nigeria has long battled with unreliable electricity supply, which has stunted productivity for decades. Even after the privatisation of the power sector, challenges such as inconsistent policies, poor investment, and operational bottlenecks have persisted.
In 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a new tariff regime that raised the cost of electricity from ₦66 to ₦225 per kilowatt-hour for Band A consumers. The sudden hike drew widespread criticism, with many Nigerians lamenting the increased hardship it brought.
The situation is worsened by soaring prices of petrol and diesel, common alternatives to grid power which have risen nearly fivefold, leaving consumers with few affordable options.
