Revalidate or Scrap Band A Power Tariff, Utomi Urges FG, Faults National Assembly on Reforms

Prof. Pat Utomi has called for the immediate review or scrapping of Nigeria’s Band A electricity tariff, calling it unfair.

He also urged urgent reforms in policing, agriculture, and elections to rescue the nation from deepening crises.

Political economist and founder of The Big Tent, Prof. Pat Utomi, has called for the immediate review and possible elimination of Nigeria’s Band A electricity tariff structure, describing it as unfair and economically irrational.

Utomi made the remarks on Monday during a news conference in Lagos addressing the current state of the nation.

He criticised the Band A power supply model, which places consumers in a category that guarantees a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily but comes with significantly higher charges. These customers pay the highest rates under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s service-based tariff framework.

Utomi argued that the current arrangement is deeply exploitative. “A university professor in Band A, for instance, spends 75 per cent of his salary on electricity tariff alone,” he said. “If not speedily revalidated, this tariff system will further impoverish Nigerians, especially the working class.”

On legislative priorities, the economist urged the National Assembly to focus more on laws that improve the lives of Nigerians rather than overemphasizing oversight duties. He expressed disappointment that the legislature had yet to complete vital electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We need pragmatic electoral reforms,” Utomi stated. “It is a disservice to Nigeria if the nation goes into 2027 with a flawed constitution.”

He stressed the urgency of addressing insecurity, especially in rural areas, where he said chronic poverty and violent threats have made life increasingly difficult for residents and farmers.

“The insecurity in rural Nigeria has driven peasant farmers off their land and worsened living conditions,” he said. “Nigeria must decentralize policing, allowing states, councils, and communities to establish their own armed forces alongside federal police.”

Utomi also advocated for structural land reforms, including the development of functional land registries that would enable land ownership to be monetized for economic value.

He noted that limited access to financing, weak infrastructure for agricultural production and processing, and recurring farmer-herder conflicts have constrained growth in the sector.

“To fix food security and economic expansion, universities must actively support agricultural extension services, similar to the land-grant university system that revolutionized American agriculture,” he said.

He further urged the government to revisit the Forest Rangers scheme initiated during the tenure of former Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh, suggesting it could significantly aid in tackling insecurity if properly assessed and implemented.

“Fighting poverty with passion will reduce insecurity,” Utomi asserted. “Poverty makes people easy targets for political or criminal manipulation.”

On low voter turnout, he said growing disillusionment among citizens has led to apathy, and called for a renewed form of political engagement that rebuilds trust in the electoral process.

“Nigerians must rally together to save this country. We are not a failed state, but the threats we face demand urgent, collective action,” Utomi concluded.