Energy analyst and media executive, Ikechukwu Amaechi, has raised serious concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s electricity banding system, describing the much-publicised “Band A” classification as a scam that does not deliver on its promises.
Amaechi, who is the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Acclaim Communications Limited, made these assertions during an interview on Breakfast Central, a News Central morning programme, on Tuesday.
According to Amaechi, despite residing and operating his business in areas classified under Band A, supposedly designated for customers who receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily, his actual experience tells a different story.
“This so-called banding of electricity supply, Band A, is a fraud, a complete fraud,” he declared. “I live in an area they said is Band A. My office is off Allen, again, Band A. When this Band A thing came, we were told that you must have about 20 hours of electricity supply a day and that if you don’t, you should complain. Go and ask anybody who is in this Band A scam… whether they get up to 10 hours. Where I live, I don’t get up to 10 hours.”
Despite the shortfall in supply, Amaechi lamented a sharp increase in his electricity tariff, which has more than tripled since the reclassification.
“My bill has been raised from about N62 per kilowatt-hour to N206 per kilowatt-hour,” he said.
Rising Tariffs, Dwindling Trust
His comments come amid growing discontent among Nigerian consumers, particularly those in the Band A category, over what many describe as unjustified electricity tariff hikes without a corresponding improvement in supply.
Under the current tariff structure approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Band A customers are expected to receive a minimum of 20 hours of power supply per day.
However, multiple anecdotal reports and social media testimonies suggest that many customers receive far less than this threshold, with some reporting daily outages lasting up to 14 hours or more.
“I feel cheated,” said one Band A resident in Abuja who didn’t give her name.
“They said we would be prioritized in electricity distribution. But since the new tariffs started, the situation has actually gotten worse in my area,” she stated.
So far, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has remained largely silent in the face of mounting allegations that distribution companies (DisCos) are failing to meet service delivery expectations while charging customers premium rates.
Several sections of Nigerian society have called on the federal government to initiate a comprehensive audit of the Band A classification system and ensure that only areas receiving the promised power supply are made to pay higher tariffs.
