Nigerian electricity consumers get new deal

Electricity consumers in the country could soon start to seek redress for poor services.
Dr Alimi Abdulrazaq, The executive commissioner in-charge of legal support and licensing in the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), made this known in Toronto, Canada.
``NERC has put in place a Consumer Assistance Code that will ensure that electricity consumers who are dissatisfied can seek redress through procedures laid out by the commission,'' Abdurazaq said.
He said that under the new procedure, a consumer would be required to write to the distribution company in his area to report poor services and if the company failed to address the issues, the complainant could take up the matter at a consumer forum.
Subsequently, if he or she is not satisfied with the decision of the forum, ``the commission will serve as the final arbiter in redressing the issues reported and ensure better services to consumers,'' he stated.
He urged all consumers to take up the challenge by lodging their complaints with the companies concerned to help reform the power sector.
He said the commission had put in place efficient regulatory frameworks to attract private participation in the sector and check the poor service experienced in the past.
The NERC official said the commission had also recently licensed 11 private companies that indicated interest in investing in the country's electricity generating and distribution sub-sector.
``This is in addition to the 18 successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, granted interim licences to operate for a year,'' he said.
``We will issue them regular licences in June after satisfying all the requirements.''
On the fate of the about 33,000 staff of the former NEPA , he said their matter was being addressed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. Abdurazaq was in Toronto for the meeting of Nigerians in Diaspora forum.