Business
PHCN: BPE Unveils Sale Strategy
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has unveiled the details of the core investor sale method approved for the privatization of the eleven Distribution Companies (DISCOs) unbundled from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Bolanle Onagoruwa, director-general, BPE, said the bidding parameters will primarily be based on quality of service/efficiency, considered against investment proposals made by bidders, aimed at reducing Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses over an agreed time frame.
Another parameter is the Multi -Year -Tariff – Order (MYTO). The MYTO stipulates the annual investment requirement, allowable operational expenditure, approved rate of return on equity and other allowable expenses for each distribution company.
Onagoruwa, who spoke at the presidential retreat for power sector investors at the presidential villa, Abuja, said the merits of the proposed strategy include technical, financial and managerial competence of operators as well as loss reduction and investments.
These, she said, are the main parameters for assessing potential bidders.
The strategy, among other features, also has the shortest curve for reducing subsidies, guarantees and section payment delinquency and tariff reduction which will be shared by operators and consumers to improve efficiency.
She pointed out that the current state of the PHCN is disappointing, given that it is characterised by high technical and non-technical losses (estimated at 45-50%); low generation, distribution and transmission capacity; large number of employees (over 50,000 in the industry); poor maintenance culture; frequent power outages; lack of commercial orientation, and absence of audited financial statements.
Onagoruwa, however, explained that the privatisation of the power sector would address the challenges.
She informed that the key objectives of privatisation include improved efficiency by increasing collections, reducing losses and cost, improved access to electricity, investment from the private sector to improve infrastructure, ensuring fair tariffs to all end users, and increase in commercial viability of the power sector.
Cornerstone of Financial Services
A survey of more than 1 000 global finance leaders undertaken by digital payment network Ripple shows that 72% of respondents believe they need to offer a digital asset solution to remain competitive.
According to Ripple, leaders from the banking, fintech, corporate and asset management sector have made it clear that the “digital asset revolution is happening now”.
“Digital assets are quickly becoming a cornerstone of financial services, underpinned by progressive regulation, growing interest from Tier-1 banks, a steady consumer shift from banks to fintech providers, and booming stablecoin adoption,” Ripple says.
The survey was conducted in early 2026 and the findings released in March.
Stablecoin Boon or Bane?
Ripple has experienced significant success in the stablecoin sector since launching its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin in 2024.
With a market cap of $1.56 billion, it is considered a major regulated player in the market.
No doubt the platform was pleased to learn through its own survey that financial leaders were most bullish about stablecoins.
Roughly three-quarters of respondents believed they could boost cash-flow efficiency and unlock trapped working capital.
Ripple noted that finance leaders were thinking about stablecoins as more than “just a new way to execute payments”; instead, they viewed them as effective tools for treasury management.
In March 2026, Ripple began testing a new trade finance model built around RLUSD in a bid to increase the speed of cross-border payments.
The pilot initiative, developed alongside supply chain finance company Unloq [https://unloq.com], is running on the XRP Ledger inside a testing framework developed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The Asian city-state is one of the platform’s biggest growth markets.
The idea behind the project is to see whether stablecoin-based settlement can streamline trade finance, too often hampered by reliance on intermediaries and slow reconciliation.
The only potential drawback is that if the initiative takes off, the Ripple to USD price could be negatively affected.
Ripple has always championed its native XRP token as a bridge asset, the “middleman” in the process of a financial institution turning dollars in the US into pounds in the UK, for example.
Ripple converts dollars into XRP and then back into pounds.
If RLUSD can do exactly the same thing, questions will be asked about XRP’s relevance.
That is a bridge Ripple will have to cross if it gets to that point.
Tokenisation Partners
Another interesting finding from Ripple’s survey is that most banks and asset managers are seeking tokenisation partners to help execute their strategies.
Some 89% of respondents said digital asset storage and custody were top priority. “Token servicing/lifecycle management also ranks highly for banks at 82%, while asset managers place greater emphasis on primary distribution at 80%,” Ripple found.
The survey also revealed that just more than half of fintechs and financial institutions want an infrastructure provider that can offer a “one-stop-shop solution”. This rose to 71% among corporate financial leaders.
Ripple attributes this to institutions and firms wanting uncomplicated, cohesive systems.
Infrastructure Rules
In its final analysis, Ripple says companies across the board are looking for partners and solutions that are “secure, compliant, battle-tested and that enable growth and execution”.
“The message is clear: infrastructure decisions made today will shape competitive positioning tomorrow.”
No surprise that this is precisely where Ripple is placing much of its focus.
