COVID-19: Not All Nigerians Will Benefit From Free Electricity Supply – Federal Government

the federal government has revealed that not all Nigerians will be given free electricity supply as a means to relieve the stress of lockdown directives given due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Naija News Understands that this was made known after a meeting by top federal government’s top officials, principal officers of the House of Representatives and stakeholders in the power sector.  According to report they also agreed to set up a joint implementation committee on the proposed two-month free power supply to the poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to a statement by his spokesman, Lanre Lasisi, said the committee would identify Nigerians that would benefit from the free power supply using the number of households connected to the national grid “which will give a way forward for regular power supply to Nigerians after the COVID-19 crisis.”

“The objective is very simple: we’re asking people to stay at home for several days or weeks. So, we need to make their stay at home comfortable. We need to help the poorest of the poorest at this time in Nigeria,” Gbajabiamila said.

The Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, said the executive would give support and “technical advice towards the realization of this objective. We are ready whenever our input is needed.”

Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, said the proposal “is workable if the issue of who is to carry the burden of cost and margins in the supply value chain is settled and agreed on by all the parties