Business
Expert Lists Power Generation, Transmission Challenges
Chief Executive Officer,
Delamol International Limited, a power consultancy firm, Mr Idris Mohammed, says inadequate power facilities for generation and transmission are the major challenges bedeviling the nation’s power industry.
Mohammed said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja
He said for Nigeria to record outstanding improvement in power sector, there was need to provide adequate facilities to generate and wheel electricity to the distribution companies.
“The greatest challenge to Nigerian’s power sector is that of generation and transmission infrastructure.
“A lot is needed to be done to reposition or to rewrite the map of Nigeria power sector from no light to light, from light to stable light, to facilitate the industrial take off of Nigeria,” Mohammed said.
He said that a significant improvement in the nation’s power supply would trigger economic prosperity for the country.
According to Mohammed, adequate power is needed to alleviate the high rate of poverty in the country.
“When that is done, we believe that the economic index of Nigeria will move to a much higher level and the seeming poverty level in Nigeria will be addressed.
“This is because there will be room for full scale employment opportunities for our talents who are in want of job.”
Mohammed said that part of the challenges being encountered by some DISCOs was their inability to understand the workings of the electricity business when they bought over the companies.
He said that some of the new owners of the company were in a hurry to take over the business without making adequate effort to understudy it.
“At the time the new owners took over, they knew nothing about the business they were buying; they are supposed to maintain a succession plan to enable them to meet the demand of the business.
“They did not bother to study the business and they went further to disengage the workers that knew how to manage the business and that led to the drop in services.”
He also said that a lot of the distribution companies operating in the nation’s power sector did not have the required capacity to take the electricity wheeled to them from the transmission company.
This, he said, was resulting in the rejection of electricity load by some DISCOS.
Mohammed said that the trend of rejecting electricity load because of inadequate facilities was a sad development to the nation’s power sector.
Mohammad, who was also a former Managing Director of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), said he was able to reduce the challenge of estimated billings based on the metering plan adopted during his tenure as CEO of the company.
“What we did was that we embarked aggressively on metering of our customers; we had our metering plan that we implemented and up to the time I Ieft office, that metering plan was sustained.
“Many of our customers were metered and because they were metered, there had been no fear or issue of estimated billing and they were able to pay their bills on time.
“That changed the fortunes of the company because it was able to hit a record of cash collection of N1.35 billion revenue. That record, till today, has not been achieved in KEDC,” he said.
Mohammed, however, expressed belief that the nation’s power sector would develop further.
He said the expectation was based on the resolve at the Powering Africa Nigeria Conference by international investors and other stakeholders to invest in the sector.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said 33 banks have met new minimum capital requirements under its recapitalisation programme, raising a combined N4.65 trillion to strengthen the financial system.
The apex bank disclosed this in a statement marking the end of the exercise, which commenced in March 2024 and drew participation from domestic and foreign investors.
The statement was jointly signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Olubukola Akinwunmi, and the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali.
The statement said “Over the 24-month period, Nigerian banks raised a total of N4.65tn in new capital, strengthening the resilience of the financial system and enhancing its capacity to support the economy.”
The regulator said local investors accounted for 72.55 per cent of the funds, while international investors contributed 27.45 per cent, reflecting continued confidence in the sector.
Commenting on the outcome, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said in the statement, “The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is well-positioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
It added that while 33 banks have complied with the new thresholds, a few others are still undergoing regulatory and legal processes.
The statement noted, “The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme.
“A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks.
“All banks remain fully operational, ensuring continued access to banking services for customers.”
The apex bank stressed that the exercise was executed without disrupting banking operations, ensuring uninterrupted access to services nationwide.
It further stated that key prudential indicators have improved, particularly capital adequacy ratios, which remain above global Basel benchmarks.
The minimum ratios were set at 10 per cent for regional and national banks and 15 per cent for banks with international licences.
The bank also said the recapitalisation coincided with a gradual exit from regulatory forbearance, a move it said improved asset quality, strengthened balance sheet transparency, and enhanced overall stability.
To preserve these gains, the CBN said it has reinforced its risk-based supervision framework, mandating periodic stress tests and adequate capital buffers for banks.
It added that supervisory and prudential guidelines would be reviewed regularly to strengthen governance, risk management, and resilience across the sector.
“The successful completion of the programme establishes a stronger and more resilient banking system, better positioned to support lending, mobilise savings, and withstand domestic and global shocks,” the statement said.
The Tide learnt that foreign capital inflows into Nigeria’s banking sector rose by 93.25 per cent year-on-year to $13.53bn in 2025, up from $7.00bn recorded in 2024, amid the ongoing recapitalisation drive by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics capital importation report showed that the banking sector remained the dominant destination for foreign capital, accounting for $13.53bn of the total $23.22bn recorded in 2025, representing 58.26 per cent of total inflows, up from 56.81 per cent in 2024.
The surge reflects heightened investor interest in Nigerian banks as they raised fresh capital to meet new regulatory thresholds introduced by the apex bank, with industry-wide recapitalisation activities driving large-scale inflows across all quarters of the year.
However, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) recently raised concerns over weak credit flows to small businesses despite recent banking sector reforms.
The CPPE, led by a renowned economist, Dr Muda Yusuf, acknowledged that the ongoing bank recapitalisation exercise by the CBN has strengthened the financial system, but warned that the benefits have yet to translate into meaningful support for the real economy.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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