Power Sector Needs Dominant Foreign Equity Players
Power Sector Needs Dominant Foreign Equity Players
THE new tariff regime isn't going to produce desired result how the Minister of Power; Mr. Babatunde Fashola has painted it. The reasons aren't too far-fetched, as they edge on two main factors. One is the technical capacity of our indigenous companies as it were now. Two is the fiscal capacity of the firms that are indigenous to bring together essential infrastructure that will guarantee constant supply of electricity in the country.
Does it mean the Federal Government was unaware of capacities of these indigenous or the financial status?
The situation is indeed understood by the Government and that there's a monetary difficulty. The Government also realizes that the inability of these investors that are indigenous truly made the difficulty to create adequate funding that the electricity sector really needs. The Federal Government and investors underestimated the sector. But rather than acknowledge that there's a difficulty that was fiscal, authorities chose to use another strategy, by helping the indigenous businesses through increase in electricity tariff. What will the tariff do? It's going to only achieve one goal: helping the indigenous firms services the loans at consumers' expense. With this, there may be a little opportunity for the banks to now raise adequate capital for expansion. Because even the banks will also be into serious trouble, but that is neither here nor there. That which we are saying is that there are just two issues confronting these native companies, specifically the technical and fiscal challenges.
Does that indicate the power assets were sold to the investors without capacities and established expertise in the electricity sector?
A bidding process was really put in place at the pre-handover of these heritage assets. A bid was called, and on that basis, there are two variables the government will also look at. The financial and technical capacities would be the basis for which every firm will soon be rated or scored. But in appraising the technical part what we have is a situation, whereby a native investor brings a technical partner. And the government examines the kind of partnership the technical associate has with the indigenous investor without a lot of emphasis on financial wherewithal. Right from the start, we said it was not enough for native companies to just bring technical partners. It would have been better for indigenous firms to bring the technical associates that would also bring equity into that partnership, which will be lacking.
In the event equity is brought by the guy, it means he isn't only an investor, but additionally a contractor to the native firm. The native business will now be able to leverage on two things: its specialized competence and fiscal coverage. That was missing in this bid and now, we are where we're today. As far as this sector is concerned, we do not have a dominant foreign equity player.
How then did the indigenous investors have the ability to acquire the power assets, in the event the foreign technical partners failed to bring equity?
We know power infrastructure development is most likely the most financial intensive job in Nigeria. So, we need people who have the deep pocket to manage it. In 2013, the Federal Government and Bureau of Private Enterprise (BPE) raked in a sum of $2.6b. I can say banks that are Nigerian supplied about 80 percent of the fund. Typically, it really should not be that way because foreign investors are primarily supposed to bring bulk of the particular equities when it comes to the capital mixture, where you find at least 60 percent equity is brought by investors. In this case, nevertheless, most of the funds were sourced from the banks. It is debt, which is now creating a little pressure on our monetary system.
We find a scenario whereby the Nigerian banks would be the important, or even the single, financiers of the acquisition of the power assets. You will find two factors with all the Nigerian banks. One is the high-interest rate. Two is the tenure of their funds. Both of these factors cannot successfully finance the electricity industry. As working capital incentive, they're able to only act. What we find today is the Nigerian banks are funded in dollars-dominated periods. Interest rate has gone on the high side. Even, the worth of dollar to naira has doubled within the space of two years. The resultant effect is the accounts of our indigenous businesses aren't doing well in the banks, meaning the businesses' ability will be stalled. In addition, the capability of the indigenous firms to pay loans is likely to be delayed. Eventually, the power of the native firms to create additional financing is likely to be stalled.
Past the monetary challenges, are you able to supply more insight into the technical challenges the firms that are indigenous are facing?
On the average, there certainly are plenty of leakages with regard to revenue group. The ability to collect sales is not there at all. For these native businesses to successfully collect earnings, they have to deploy technology. Also in the area of technical competence, the native companies are lagging far behind. These really are the technical challenges that they have. There are plenty of people using electricity aside this. Some are tapping from armour cables that are underground. Many are avoiding the pre-paid metres. The earnings that the power distribution companies should produce are not coming due to each one of these acts of sabotage. How can these be solved? It's just through using technology, that may cost lots of cash.
Another problem is that estimated bill is the cash cow of the business. The Federal Government comes up using an idea that everybody must be metred by the companies that are indigenous in a couple of years, but it should be other way round. The native investors should have supplied steady electricity supply before raising tariff. With this two-year grace and the sweetener being estimated charging, which will be to rise by 45 percent, then the cash flow will also increase immensely. It's easy arithmetic.
The proposition of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on contested bills cannot work. NERC has proposed that after bills are challenged, consumers should not pay. Instead, they need to pay what was paid. Later, the buyer should write a letter and there's a body of people that will look in their grievances. Ikeja Distribution Company Ikeja Electric, has over 450,000 customers. How many individuals will they manage to adjudicate on problems arising from estimated statements? Do they've capacity? It's possible for you to view it is not likely to work.
With this particular image, it appears the business has serious challenges. Can they sail through?
We should comprehend that this really is an industry that needs financial strengths. Two things run with all the players in the business. First, the native businesses that purchased the legacy assets are not known in the industry. What exactly is their antecedent? Prior to buying the heritage assets, have they been doing electricity business for 10, 20 or 50 years? These are just entrepreneurs that saw opportunity and believed they may benefit greatly from it. There is absolutely nothing wrong about it. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand when to take your business to the next level, although it is good.
For instance, the folks that started Coca Cola are not the ones running the company now. However, when you do not consider how to take that business to another level and hold to the assets, there's a problem. Secondly, the challenge we've at present is in the business model. Actually, the business model isn't in the Electricity Sector Reforms Act. It's the business model of these companies that are native. Do you know the brands of these firms? How much can the brands pull internationally when it comes to investors?
For cement, and that's why it is not difficult for Dangote to set up cement factories in different African countries, Dangote is well known for instance. The simple reason is the template is already there. The man would go to each state together with the exact same template and exactly the same team because that is what he is doing for the previous 30 years. Is it not astonishing that the same Dangote is building $15b refinery? But why was Dangote not a player in the electricity business in Nigeria until lately?
So, what should be carried out to redress the situation?
What exactly is emerging now is that the Federal Government is attempting to spoonfeed the native firms. These are private companies, but the Government gave them subvention, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is only a drop in the ocean. We remember the subvention the CBN provided to buy petrol, which has not worked. Another one is coming. If the minister is sure of himself, let him sign an indemnity or guarantee Nigeria because we've had enough of discussing that if power is unstable in two years, he would step down. We now have began counting. There will be no radical change in two years, despite the tariff hike. Our stake in this matter is that of foil and sense. Also, a proper company should be deployed into first players and the electricity industry with established expertise and abilities in the electricity industry needs to be allowed in. The pros which have been in the electricity company for generations ought to be permitted to come in.
An actual reappraisal of business model, whereby people must understand that profitability will not come in five years, although it is not about government intervention. There should be a reappraisal of business model. Our banks can only offer financial assistance between three and two years, since they would want their funds back within that period. So, the banks are not satisfied to fund electricity industry.
An enabling environment should likewise be produced in a way that Nigerians will start to view the future. The electricity marketplaces in Nigeria can't be compared to that of Ghana and South Africa. It's absurd to generate that kind of comparison because our people are not same. The electricity marketplace attracts tremendous profits and is enormous. But the investors aren't there.
The minister said because the price isn't bankable, no bank would want to fund the sector. But can we be told by Fashola which banks he was referring to? The business model of the native companies WOn't work if he meant Nigerian banks. Fund tenure and the interest WOn't make it work. That which we are proposing is that Federal Government should urgently set up a finance development bank that is only towards development projects like this. If our local banks will play any role at all, it must be in the locale of providing working capital.

Does it mean the Federal Government was unaware of capacities of these indigenous or the financial status?
The situation is indeed understood by the Government and that there's a monetary difficulty. The Government also realizes that the inability of these investors that are indigenous truly made the difficulty to create adequate funding that the electricity sector really needs. The Federal Government and investors underestimated the sector. But rather than acknowledge that there's a difficulty that was fiscal, authorities chose to use another strategy, by helping the indigenous businesses through increase in electricity tariff. What will the tariff do? It's going to only achieve one goal: helping the indigenous firms services the loans at consumers' expense. With this, there may be a little opportunity for the banks to now raise adequate capital for expansion. Because even the banks will also be into serious trouble, but that is neither here nor there. That which we are saying is that there are just two issues confronting these native companies, specifically the technical and fiscal challenges.
Does that indicate the power assets were sold to the investors without capacities and established expertise in the electricity sector?
A bidding process was really put in place at the pre-handover of these heritage assets. A bid was called, and on that basis, there are two variables the government will also look at. The financial and technical capacities would be the basis for which every firm will soon be rated or scored. But in appraising the technical part what we have is a situation, whereby a native investor brings a technical partner. And the government examines the kind of partnership the technical associate has with the indigenous investor without a lot of emphasis on financial wherewithal. Right from the start, we said it was not enough for native companies to just bring technical partners. It would have been better for indigenous firms to bring the technical associates that would also bring equity into that partnership, which will be lacking.
In the event equity is brought by the guy, it means he isn't only an investor, but additionally a contractor to the native firm. The native business will now be able to leverage on two things: its specialized competence and fiscal coverage. That was missing in this bid and now, we are where we're today. As far as this sector is concerned, we do not have a dominant foreign equity player.
How then did the indigenous investors have the ability to acquire the power assets, in the event the foreign technical partners failed to bring equity?
We know power infrastructure development is most likely the most financial intensive job in Nigeria. So, we need people who have the deep pocket to manage it. In 2013, the Federal Government and Bureau of Private Enterprise (BPE) raked in a sum of $2.6b. I can say banks that are Nigerian supplied about 80 percent of the fund. Typically, it really should not be that way because foreign investors are primarily supposed to bring bulk of the particular equities when it comes to the capital mixture, where you find at least 60 percent equity is brought by investors. In this case, nevertheless, most of the funds were sourced from the banks. It is debt, which is now creating a little pressure on our monetary system.
We find a scenario whereby the Nigerian banks would be the important, or even the single, financiers of the acquisition of the power assets. You will find two factors with all the Nigerian banks. One is the high-interest rate. Two is the tenure of their funds. Both of these factors cannot successfully finance the electricity industry. As working capital incentive, they're able to only act. What we find today is the Nigerian banks are funded in dollars-dominated periods. Interest rate has gone on the high side. Even, the worth of dollar to naira has doubled within the space of two years. The resultant effect is the accounts of our indigenous businesses aren't doing well in the banks, meaning the businesses' ability will be stalled. In addition, the capability of the indigenous firms to pay loans is likely to be delayed. Eventually, the power of the native firms to create additional financing is likely to be stalled.
Past the monetary challenges, are you able to supply more insight into the technical challenges the firms that are indigenous are facing?
On the average, there certainly are plenty of leakages with regard to revenue group. The ability to collect sales is not there at all. For these native businesses to successfully collect earnings, they have to deploy technology. Also in the area of technical competence, the native companies are lagging far behind. These really are the technical challenges that they have. There are plenty of people using electricity aside this. Some are tapping from armour cables that are underground. Many are avoiding the pre-paid metres. The earnings that the power distribution companies should produce are not coming due to each one of these acts of sabotage. How can these be solved? It's just through using technology, that may cost lots of cash.
Another problem is that estimated bill is the cash cow of the business. The Federal Government comes up using an idea that everybody must be metred by the companies that are indigenous in a couple of years, but it should be other way round. The native investors should have supplied steady electricity supply before raising tariff. With this two-year grace and the sweetener being estimated charging, which will be to rise by 45 percent, then the cash flow will also increase immensely. It's easy arithmetic.
The proposition of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on contested bills cannot work. NERC has proposed that after bills are challenged, consumers should not pay. Instead, they need to pay what was paid. Later, the buyer should write a letter and there's a body of people that will look in their grievances. Ikeja Distribution Company Ikeja Electric, has over 450,000 customers. How many individuals will they manage to adjudicate on problems arising from estimated statements? Do they've capacity? It's possible for you to view it is not likely to work.
With this particular image, it appears the business has serious challenges. Can they sail through?
We should comprehend that this really is an industry that needs financial strengths. Two things run with all the players in the business. First, the native businesses that purchased the legacy assets are not known in the industry. What exactly is their antecedent? Prior to buying the heritage assets, have they been doing electricity business for 10, 20 or 50 years? These are just entrepreneurs that saw opportunity and believed they may benefit greatly from it. There is absolutely nothing wrong about it. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand when to take your business to the next level, although it is good.
For instance, the folks that started Coca Cola are not the ones running the company now. However, when you do not consider how to take that business to another level and hold to the assets, there's a problem. Secondly, the challenge we've at present is in the business model. Actually, the business model isn't in the Electricity Sector Reforms Act. It's the business model of these companies that are native. Do you know the brands of these firms? How much can the brands pull internationally when it comes to investors?
For cement, and that's why it is not difficult for Dangote to set up cement factories in different African countries, Dangote is well known for instance. The simple reason is the template is already there. The man would go to each state together with the exact same template and exactly the same team because that is what he is doing for the previous 30 years. Is it not astonishing that the same Dangote is building $15b refinery? But why was Dangote not a player in the electricity business in Nigeria until lately?
So, what should be carried out to redress the situation?

An actual reappraisal of business model, whereby people must understand that profitability will not come in five years, although it is not about government intervention. There should be a reappraisal of business model. Our banks can only offer financial assistance between three and two years, since they would want their funds back within that period. So, the banks are not satisfied to fund electricity industry.
An enabling environment should likewise be produced in a way that Nigerians will start to view the future. The electricity marketplaces in Nigeria can't be compared to that of Ghana and South Africa. It's absurd to generate that kind of comparison because our people are not same. The electricity marketplace attracts tremendous profits and is enormous. But the investors aren't there.
The minister said because the price isn't bankable, no bank would want to fund the sector. But can we be told by Fashola which banks he was referring to? The business model of the native companies WOn't work if he meant Nigerian banks. Fund tenure and the interest WOn't make it work. That which we are proposing is that Federal Government should urgently set up a finance development bank that is only towards development projects like this. If our local banks will play any role at all, it must be in the locale of providing working capital.