The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Ajibola Bashiru, has said that energy is not cheap anywhere in the world and Nigeria cannot afford to run its electricity sector as though it were a socialist economy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm on Tuesday, Bashiru emphasized the need for Nigerians to understand that the country operates in a globalised and market-driven economy.
“Energy is not cheap anywhere in the world. Nigeria is not running a socialist society. Let us get it very right. We are in a globalised economy,” Bashiru said.
His comments followed concerns raised by Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, during a roundtable event on Victoria Island on Monday.
Hamzat had expressed frustration over an astronomical increase in his electricity bill—from N2.7m in March to N29m in April—despite his prior payment for a prepaid meter that has yet to be installed.
Responding to the outrage, Bashiru said the APC-led government is actively working to resolve Nigeria’s longstanding infrastructure issues in the energy sector.
“Of recent, the transmission companies have been unbundled to address the problem of inefficiency and for adequate focus to ensure there is electricity supply for Nigerians,” he explained.
On the specifics of Hamzat’s complaint, Bashiru said: “As to the claim by the deputy governor of Lagos State, I don’t know the level of gadgets he has in his house. I wouldn’t know the size of his house and I wouldn’t know the energy requirement that would occasion that huge amount of money and the basis of that bill.”
He also argued that the deputy governor’s experience does not reflect the situation of average Nigerians.
“It would not be correct to say that that humongous amount would apply to ordinary Nigerians who just run their lifestyle based on watching television, using electricity, and possibly when there is heat, using air condition,” he said.
Bashiru emphasized on the importance of economic sustainability in Nigeria’s energy sector.
“You cannot pigeonhole people to say people spend N20,000 in a matter of days. What is the cost of generating, what is the cost of transmission? What is the cost of distribution?,” he queried.
“It should be run on the basis of economic efficiency so that the cost of production of the energy itself must be recovered and they must be able to make profit. We are not running a socialist economy,” Bashiru added.
