A Misplaced Priority To Spend ₦8bn on Electricity Bill Orientation

Minister of Power Adelabu, Plans to Spend ₦8bn on Electricity Bill Orientation Sparks Debate

The Federal Government has proposed an ₦8 billion expenditure in 2025 for a nationwide campaign to orient Nigerians on the importance of paying electricity bills. This announcement by the Minister of Power, Adelabu, has sparked widespread criticism, with many describing it as a misplaced priority.

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu

Defending the Ministry of Power’s budget before the National Assembly’s joint committee on power, Mr. Adelabu justified the allocation, stating that the funds would be used to carry out advocacy across social, digital, and print media platforms. He emphasized the need to re-educate Nigerians about the power sector, describing it as a national asset requiring collective protection.

Minister of Power

“In terms of advocacy, we believe that our people need to be re-educated. They need to know that power assets are national assets, and we should all jointly own and protect them,” he said. He further highlighted power theft prevention and regular bill payments as key advocacy goals.

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However, critics argue that the proposed spending is wasteful and out of touch with the realities faced by Nigerians, many of whom struggle with unstable power supply and lack of prepaid electricity meters. Industry stakeholders and citizens have called for the funds to be redirected toward a free mass metering campaign, which they believe would address core challenges in the sector.

“Rather than spending ₦8 billion on campaigns, the government should focus on providing prepaid meters to all households. This will eliminate billing disputes, encourage prompt payments, and reduce power theft,” said an energy expert.

The debate underscores lingering issues in Nigeria’s power sector, including inefficiency, poor service delivery, and distrust between electricity providers and consumers. As discussions on the budget continue, many Nigerians hope for a shift toward impactful investments that prioritize improved service delivery over awareness campaigns.