The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has emphasized the current administration’s commitment to bridging the communication gap between the government and the Nigerian people.
The minister said this during a Ministerial Press Briefing Series featuring the Ministry of Power on Friday at the National Press Centre, Abuja.
He said that the Ministerial Press Briefing was conducted regularly to ensure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goal of an accessible and timely flow of information was achieved.
He assured the media that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation would continue to provide credible and timely information on government policies.
The minister also noted the need for the Ministry of Power to brief Nigerians on the recent review of the tariff regime in the power sector due to the citizens’ concerns.
While speaking, Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, appreciated the media’s continued support of the Renewed Hope Agenda and emphasised the power sector’s relevance to the activities of every other sector in society.
The minister gave an overview of the ministry’s activities while appealing to the general public to be open-minded to the government’s activities and policies.
He assured the public that the president had a track record of success and would do well during this administration.
He emphasized that with the removal of subsidies on petrol, the floating of the Naira, and the inflation rate in the country, the government did not want to aggravate the suffering of Nigerians.
He further said that the power sector needed an overhaul, and the present administration had taken the bold step to start the journey.
He pleaded for patience and understanding in addressing the root cause of the problems of the power sector to provide consumers with the desired service.
The minister pointed out that “we are in a subsidy regime where the government covers 67% of the cost of power production, transmission, and distribution, which consumemore than 10% of the National budget.”
He said that was a burden on the country’s meagre revenue.
He emphasized the need for consumer protection and that value for money was critical for consumers, and that the ministry was determined to keep its promise to them.
In addressing the recent tariff increase, the minister said the increase was only for consumers in the Band A category, which is only 15% of consumers, while other customers will continue to enjoy the government subsidy.
According to the minister, the ministry intended to provide a cost-reflective tariff and gradually migrate other consumers to the band A grade over three years.
These consumers will enjoy 20 to 24 hours of electricity per day, and it is realistically cheaper at N225 per kilowatt than diesel and generating sets.
Adelabu said the sector currently needed to be more attractive to investors.
“There is an infrastructure deficit, which includes the availability of gas and the generation, transmission, and distribution of power. These must be addressed for the sector to grow and benefit Nigerians,” he said, adding that a metering gap needed to be bridged and that all the issues stated could only be addressed by generating funds.
He mentioned that the sector had been decentralized and that consumer protection was vital.
“20 hours must be achieved as promised, and anything else would attract consequences for the distribution company,” he said.
He also stated that Nigerians had to learn energy consumption management while getting value for money spent.
“At the same time, the ministry, on its part, is rounding up generation, such as renewable energy and the Zungeru projects. The ministry is also working hard to find creative ways to cut vandalism while installing new lines and injection lines and investing in advocacy to educate consumers,” Adelabu said.
