The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s proposal to allocate N8 billion in the 2025 federal budget to sensitise Nigerians on the need to pay electricity bills.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero described the allocation as “absurd” and urged the Power Ministry and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to reinvigorate the sector and save it from total collapse.
In a statement signed by Ajaero on Tuesday, the Power sector in Nigeria is “on the brink of collapse” due to gross incompetence and corruption.
He noted that despite huge investments in the sector, the leaders have failed to find lasting solutions to power challenges.
Ajaero also questioned the Minister of Power’s decision to “seek N8 billion” and to educate Nigerians “on how to pay electricity bills” while contractors in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) “are owed over N200 billion.”
“It is therefore not surprising that power grid collapse is now a constant as it has continued to succumb to greed and crass incompetence,” he said.
The NLC statement highlighted the need for a comprehensive audit of the entire power sector budget to unearth other potential avenues for corruption and financial recklessness.
Ajaero emphasized that the NLC will continue to monitor developments in the sector and will not hesitate to mobilize against any attempt to use the budget process as a vehicle for waste.
