Energy expert, Nick Agule, has said that electricity costs less in the United Kingdom than in Nigeria, despite the persistent challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector.
Agule made the assertion on Wednesday during a live appearance on ARISE TV’s The Morning Show, amid ongoing discussions on electricity subsidies and frequent national grid failures.
His comments come as the Federal Government plans to begin sharing the burden of electricity subsidies with state and local governments from 2026, a move linked to the provisions of the Electricity Act.
Agule also spoke against the backdrop of repeated national grid collapses, which reportedly occurred twice within a single week in January.
Reacting to the proposed subsidy-sharing arrangement, he said, “I agree that now that states have the responsibility to create electricity markets in their domains, per the 2022 Electricity Act, they should also contribute to the subsidy discussion.
“This should be a first-line charge from states and local governments from the Federation Account.”
The energy expert, however, criticised the approach of the Federal Government, arguing that it was addressing symptoms rather than the underlying problems in the electricity sector.
“However, the government seems to be addressing the symptom – the accumulated debts in the electricity sector instead of tackling the root cause.
“I pay more for electricity in Nigeria than I pay for constant electricity in the UK. Why is the government subsidising the telecom services? And that is where the question is. That’s the real issue.”
Only days before Agule’s interview, the Budget Office of the Federation announced that the Federal Government would no longer solely shoulder electricity subsidies from 2026.
Under the new arrangement, subsidy costs will be shared by the federal, state and local governments, in line with the 2022/2023 Electricity Act, which empowers states to establish and regulate electricity markets within their territories.
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