The Federal Ministry of Power has announced a proposal to spend ₦8 billion in 2025 to educate Nigerians on the importance of promptly paying their electricity bills.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, revealed this plan while defending the ministry’s budget before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Power on Monday, January 13.
Adelabu emphasized that the advocacy campaign will be conducted through various channels, including social, digital, and print media, to effectively reach Nigeria’s over 200 million population.
He explained that many Nigerians need orientation to realize that the power sector is a national asset that requires protection and responsible use.
The minister highlighted the necessity of avoiding power theft and the importance of regular bill payment as key reasons for the advocacy. “In terms of advocacy, we believe that our people need to be re-educated. They need to be re-orientated to know that the power assets are national assets, and we should all jointly own it. Our people need to know that they should avoid power theft. When they see something, they must say something. Our people need to know that they must pay their bills regularly. All these need to be passed across. We believe that the power sector needs to do a lot of advocacy, re-orientation, and re-education of our people.“
Adelabu also mentioned that the proposed budget allocation underscores the government’s commitment to improving the power sector by ensuring citizens are well-informed about their electricity usage and payment responsibilities.
He further stressed that the ministry is addressing the country’s metering gap. Over the next five years, the ministry plans to procure at least two million meters annually to eliminate fraud in electricity billing.
The minister’s announcement comes as Nigeria’s power generation increased by 30% in 2024, reaching a peak of 5,528 MW from 4,100 MW in 2023. This progress is attributed to the addition of new hydroelectric power dams and the growth in renewable energy initiatives.
Adelabu, who assumed office on August 21, 2023, has been actively working to improve the country’s power sector. Before this role, he served as the Deputy Governor of Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2014 to 2018.
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