In any conventional competitive market, the customer is believed to be the king regardless of industry. This belief is quite common because demand is the driver of service delivery and investment. However, this is not the case in the Nigerian electricity sector because the industry operates in a monopolistic market. As a result, there is a tendency that the inherent monopoly allows for conditions that leave customers short-changed. Hence the need for customer representative groups in the electricity market.
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) created a group referred to as the Network of Electricity Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria (NECAN) to influence symmetry between consumers, retailers, and producers in a regulated market. The group comprises representatives from residential, commercial and industrial consumers with the intention of developing a trusted network of professionals at local, state and federal levels while also supporting and protecting the rights and responsibilities of consumers.
However, the group faces several challenges, one of which is the lack of awareness by electricity customers. Having been to many electricity customer engagements, it is apparent that most consumers do not know that they have a customer advocacy unit to report their challenges. As a result, there have been occasions where some customers take laws into their hands. In this case, the distribution companies often bear the brunt of their outburst, frequently leading to electricity bypassing and customers unwillingness to pay bills.
When consumers are properly engaged and provided with good service delivery, it would encourage enlightenment and improve DisCo-Customer relationships. Therefore, it is necessary for consumer advocacy groups to carry out more community sensitisations as this will ultimately lead to a productive electricity market.