Di Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) give di grid operators order to reduce electricity supplies to dia customers wey dey abroad.
Dis order wey come from di pipo wey dey regulate electricity for Nigeria na to boost electricity supply for di kontri.
According to di order wey comeout ova di weekend, di Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission say di way wey di grid operators dey manage di supply currently dey cause serious hardship for Nigerians.
And dis hardships na sake of supply under bilateral contracts wey include export to international customers, wey dem dey give priority before supply to domestic customers.
According to Reuters, di regulator tok say dem bin dey place a cap of 6% on di total electricity wey di grid generate to international off-takers for di next six months, effective from May 1.
Power firms for Nigeria get contracts wit neighbouring African kontris to give dem light.
Dis contracts dey bring foreign exchange to support di revenue from oda economic tariffs. But dis companies no dey pay dia bills early.
Absence of light na common tin for Nigeria sake of shortage of electricity but recently e dey increase well well.
Electricity companies for Nigeria recently increase electricity bills for some domestic customers wey suppose to get more power supply evri day between 18 to 20 hours.
But dis electricity companies no fit meet-up wit di supply.
Kontris wey Nigeria dey give light
Nigeria get electricity contracts wit kontries like Niger, Togo and Benin, di electricity companies also get bilateral contracts wit big users for Nigeria.
Dis industries and big users industries and goment departments wey dem dey give priority supply bifor regular customers.
Mikolaj Judson, wey be analyst for global risk consultancy Control Risks tell Reuters say di cap for overseas sales fit create uncertainty for di sector.
“Operationally, e go require power generation companies to adjust production and distribution, and potentially modify contracts on short notice.”
Im add say e fit increase financial challenges if dem reducing di revenue wey dey come from overseas customers.
E go also require power distribution firms, many of dem wey dey already owe sizeable debts to power generation companies, need to step up to pay back dia debts.
According to wetin di grid service data show, electricity supply from di national grid dey around below 3,000 megawatts for many weeks now, but e don rise above 4,700 megawatts since Saturday afta di directive.
Local customers dey usually get less dan 4000MW on normal days.
Di regulator tok say current international and bilateral contracts get terms and off-takers dem pass dia contract levels evritime, especially during peak operations at di expense of oda grid users.
Dem no dey also enforce penalties for pipo wey dey violate grid regulations.
Last month, NERC increase electricity bills by 230% for 15% of customers wey suppose to get more power supply but di power companies no fit meet-up dia contract of 20 hours supply daily.
Anoda tin wey fit make di regulators take dis decision to cut back supply to international customers fit also be as dem no dey pay dia debts on time.
For one report for di last quarter of 2023, NERC tok say international customers bin dey owe Nigeria power companies a combined $12.02 million as unpaid debt for services.
- Di ‘band A’ pipo wey federal goment electricity tariff increase affect and amount dem go pay
- Wetin be Electricity Act wey Tinubu just sign into law
- You fit use tree power bulb? Experts explain if e dey possible
