*Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has suggested one of the approaches to solving electricity generation, transmission and distrubition challenges in Nigeria could be the implementation of the NERC Billing Cap Order

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has advocated implementation of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Billing Cap Order as a structural approach towards resolving the electricity issues in the Nigerian economy.

Mr. Babatunde Irukera, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of FCCPC, recommended the application of this strategy during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria Sunday, December 26, 2021, in Abuja, FCT.

The FCCPC EVC/CEO said one of the approaches in resolving the pressing electricity generation, transmission and distribution challenges in Nigeria could be the implementation of the NERC Billing Cap Order.

It is also noted the order by NERC states that “DisCos shall ensure that all customers on tariff Class A1 are properly identified and metered by April 30, 2020.”

R2 Single Phase consumers now have energy cap of 78kwhr per month and a tariff of N24kwhr. The maximum such a customer will be billed is N1,872 per month.

Irukera also stated that FCCPC had  succeeded tremendously with respect to resolving complaints in the country.

He stated: “However, the fact that there are that many complaints on a daily basis, shows that a far more structural, or industry-wide approach to resolving the problem of the industry must be adopted.

“We cannot resolve complaints as fast as the number of complaints that comes in.”

The FCCPC Chief further said: “We have gone to Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt to resolve 100s of complaints and we are not talking about the number of complaints that come to us routinely and we are resolving.

“We resolved more electricity complaints this year more than we have done in any year but that the problem still remains shows that there is something structural that needs to be fixed.”

Irukera also explained “one of it is the estimated billing, we have no control over how quickly consumers can be metered but we are advocating, insisting and engaging to ensure that happens.

“The DisCos strongly oppose the regulation, and we strongly support it and want to proceed to mutual and joint enforcement and those conversations are on-going on what is a fair common ground on how to enforce those regulations.”

The same structural approach, he said, is also needed to tackle the issues in the aviation industry in Nigeria.