Band A: “We don’t want 24 hours electricity anymore,” Obawole residents lament to NERC, EKEDC

On May 6, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the addition of 19 Band A feeders to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) network.

Areas previously on Band B feeders in the Obawole and Iju-Ishaga axis were part of the feeders upgraded to Band A, allowing them to enjoy 20 to 24 hours of electricity supply per day.

Several residents living in the area confirmed to The Record that the electricity supply lasts up to 22 to 23 hours a day. Most of the time, they enjoy uninterrupted electricity for three days in a row.

However, despite the constant electricity supply, consumers in Obawole are unsatisfied. Many houses and shops remain in darkness due to the cost of the electricity.

According to Mrs. Peace Victor, a small restaurant owner on Victor Olaleye Street in Obawole, her and eight others used to pay N5,000 each for electricity units, which would sustain them through  a month.

However, since the upgrade to the Band A feeder in May, they have had to pay N10,000 each; the units are exhausted within two days.

“The increase is too much. They should take us back to Band B. We were not complaining,” Mrs. Victor lamented to The Record.

Ruth Ojo, a young lady in her early twenties living alone in a small apartment on Oremeji Street in Obawole, said the feeder upgrade has affected her finances.

According to Ojo, she and the two tenants in her building agreed to turn off the lights during the day when everyone goes to work to adapt to the high tariff.

“Despite all the management, we are still spending so much,” she told The Record. “I have spent N11,000 on electricity within two weeks. How much is my rent per month? How much do I earn?Why should I be spending so much on light bills? I can’t cope with this Band A,” she said.

A landlord at Celestial Close in Obawole, *Mr Olushola Micheal, compared the current tariff hike to the period when they used post-paid meters and received exorbitant electricity bills from Ikeja Electric.

According to him, the only difference is the constant supply of electricity, which she would readily exchange for 12-14 hours of electricity per day.

“We used to spend approximately N18,000 a month on B,” he told The Record. Now, my tenants and I have spent N33,000 this month on buying units, and the month hasn’t ended yet, which means we might spend more.” 

Different electricity consumer bands 

There are five different bands of electricity consumers in Lagos and other states in Nigeria. They are divided into five alphabetical categories: Bands A, B, C, D, and E.

Band A customers enjoy the optimum power supply of 20 to 24 hours of electricity per day, while those in Band B receive 16 to 20 hours across the country.

Band B and C customers are mid-range, with 12 to 16 hours of power supply. Band D customers enjoy eight to 12 hours of electricity, while Band E customers are at the lower end, with four to eight hours of supply.

In April, the NERC approved an increase in electricity tariffs, affecting only customers under the service Band A category in Lagos.

Due to the removal of the Federal Government subsidy on electricity, Band A customers’ bills increased by 230 percent, from N68 per kilowatt-hour to N225/kWh.

On May 6, Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IE) announced a slight reduction in its electricity tariff for Band A customers, from N225/kWh to N206.80/kWh.

Band A upgrade crippling businesses 

For traders like Mrs. Esther Matthew, a frozen food stall owner in Omo-Onile Market, Obawole, electricity is essential for her business. Without a constant power supply to preserve the fish and other animal produce she sells, her business would suffer.

While speaking with The Record, she lamented how she had spent double the amount on the electricity bill, eating into most of her profits.

“This Band A doesn’t favour us (traders) at all. If the government can’t reduce this tariff, they should take us back to Band B,” Mrs. Matthew emphasised.

Simon Michael, a salesboy on Victor Olaleye Street, Iju Ishaga, said his boss had decided not to buy units for the prepaid meter since they sell foodstuff which doesn’t necessarily need electricity supply for maintenance.

“He said we will keep managing for now,” Michael told The Record.

Ifako Local Government comments

The Area Engineer at Ifako Local Government, Mr. Akinyemi Tunde, told The Record that the council cannot petition for a downgrade back to B, as the majority of residents are satisfied with the Band A upgrade.

“The residents in Kayfarm Estate, Obawole, are pleased with having almost 23 hours of electricity supply,” he said, “We at the local government are happy as well because we no longer spend money on fuel.”

He further advised residents to cut down on their use of electrical appliances to save costs.

Meanwhile, a civil servant at the Ifako Local Government, who insisted on anonymity, told The Record that the Band A feeder is expensive, no matter how much the low-income residents try to manage their units.

“How much do these people earn if they have to spend the bulk of their money on electricity bills? Lagos State is trying to imitate the USA and other developing countries, but their electricity is not as expensive and is affordable for all,” he said.

Protest against tariff hike

On Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) protested the recent increase in electricity tariffs approved by the NERC by picketing offices of power distribution companies (DisCos) across the country.

Following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the Tinubu administration is working towards addressing the demands of the protesters.

“I believe we’re going to reach a peaceful resolution with the labour because no government can succeed without cooperation, collaboration, and partnership with the labour unions,” Adelabu said.

“We knew it’s going to be rough, but we must weather the storm, which is going to be temporary. It’s a lot of sacrifice from everybody: from the government’s side, from the people’s side, from the private sector side. So we must bear this sacrifice for us to have a permanent gain.

“So I’m appealing to everybody that one should not toy with this that we have embarked upon; we are aiming somewhere, and we will achieve it.”

*Name changed to protect source’s identity.