Minister Tegbe Proposes Call Center for Power Complaints

Joseph Tegbe, the Minister of Power in Nigeria, recently announced that his office is developing a call center to manage electricity complaints from across the country, aiming to provide “sustainable job opportunities” for young Nigerians. However, this initiative has been met with skepticism, as it appears to overlook the existing regulatory framework established by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Under Regulation 43 of the Customer Protection Regulations 2023, customers are directed to first contact the Customer Complaints Unit of their Distribution Company (DisCo), which is required to resolve complaints within 15 working days. If unresolved, complaints can be escalated to the NERC Consumer Forum and then to NERC.

The article suggests that Tegbe's announcement may have been more about garnering support than addressing the actual needs of the power sector, which is already governed by established protocols for complaint resolution.