The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has warned that university students may face a significant increase in their electricity bills, potentially exceeding N80,000 per student, due to the high electricity tariffs.
According to Professor Yakubu Ochefu, the Secretary-General of CVCNU, universities are struggling to pay the monthly electricity bills of over N200 million. Before the introduction of the Band A system, universities were charged N61 million monthly.
In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) increased the electricity tariff paid by Band A customers from N68/kWh to N225/kWh, a 300% hike. Band A customers are those who receive electricity supply for at least 20 hours a day.
Many universities have complained about the soaring electricity bills following the new policy. For instance, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State, and the University of Benin reported receiving massive electricity bills, averaging N300 million monthly.
Babcock University in Ogun State paid N300 million in May alone. The Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Professor Lilian Salami, stated that the university was disconnected from the national grid due to its inability to pay around N300 million monthly.
Ochefu warned that if the Federal Government does not intervene to address the issue, universities may be forced to transfer the costs to students as user charges or limit their operations to four hours a day.
For example, UNIBEN is currently running a generator for four hours daily, which costs them N60 million a month. This is unsustainable given the need for functioning libraries, internet access, and laboratory facilities.
The Vice-Chancellors have written to the Federal Government requesting a concessionary rate or a return to the previous rate based on the funding provided by the FG to universities. However, there has been no response yet.
The matter is now in the hands of the pro-chancellors, as it is a critical funding issue. The Vice-Chancellors have done their part,” Ochefu said.
