MAN kicks against impending electricity tariff hike

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has described the plans to increase electricity tariff from July 1 as outrageous.

The association said the real sector was currently uncompetitive from the high prices used to generate power from alternative sources.

Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General, MAN, made this known in an interview with our correspondent on Friday in Lagos.

Our correspondent recalls that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said the increase was in response to the rise of the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS) the rise in inflation rate which was at 22.41 per cent, and a shift in the exchange rate from N441 to N750.

Ajayi-Kadir said a 40 per cent tariff increase at this time would engender higher costs of production, lower profit margin, manufacturing activities paralysis, lower revenue remittances to government among others.

He stated that the absence of stable, effective and fairly priced electricity supply in Nigeria had been a long-standing challenge for manufacturers which compelled them to supplement with alternative energy sources.

Regrettably, he noted that the available alternative energy sources such as diesel had become exorbitantly expensive.

The MAN director general said that manufacturers spent at least N144.5 billion on sourcing alternative energy in 2022, up from N77.22 billion in 2021, translating to 87 per cent increase in the cost of access to alternative energy sources.

He said the fact that government itself was owing N75 billion in unpaid electricity bill was indicative of how burdensome the cost of electricity had become.

“Already, we have power constituting between 28-40 per cent in the cost structure of manufacturing industries.

“You can imagine the impact on manufacturing industries that are energy-intensive such as metal processing, heavy machinery, and chemicals manufacturing.

“A spike in the electricity tariff will erode the profit margin of the manufacturers and reduce their ability to expand operations and create new jobs.

“Manufacturers will ultimately pass on the additional cost to the consumers of their products and this will increase the cost of the products in the market and complicate the rising inflation rate in the country.

“Also, the sector’s competitiveness will definitely worsen as the high cost of the products will make locally produced items less competitive, when compared with imported alternatives,” he said.

Ajayi-Kadir advised the Federal Government and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to instead, ensure improved electricity generation, transmission and distribution to meet the revenue needs of the electricity supply industry stakeholders.

He stressed that government should ensure that at least, 90 per cent of electricity consumers were metered to ensure consumption reflective electricity bill payment.

He also tasked government to formulate electricity policies that would aid investments in energy industry to increase generation capacities and usher in large scale production of electricity.

“There is an urgent need for diversification of energy sources and intensifying infrastructure investment in the power sector.

“As it is today, the manufacturing sector, which is the engine of growth, is still struggling as a result of inclement production environment in Nigeria.

“The expectation is that government will engage in extensive and intensive consultations with the manufacturers; focus on measures that will salvage the sector and halt the trend of shutdown of factories, knowing the implications and the multiplier effects on employment and the economy.

“Care should be taken to avoid introducing burdensome measures that will further strangulate the manufacturing sector and the whole economy,” he said.