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Electricity:Nigeria postpones financial bids opening for power distribution firms

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By Joseph BAMIDELE

ABUJA-The Bureau of Public

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan

Enterprises (BPE) has postponed the opening of financial bids for the sale of electricity distribution companies, earlier scheduled for October 10 to 16.

A statement issued by BPE in Abuja, said the postponement was to give bidders the required 15 working days to procure and submit their post-qualification security.

The Agency said the shift in date was necessitated by the time lost from the postponement of the last meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) from September 13 to 18.

It assured stakeholders that all other dates in the timeline for the privatisation of the successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) remains unchanged.

The agency reiterated that the opening of the financial bids of investors for the five generation companies, whose technical proposals met the requirement would take place as scheduled on Tuesday.

The statement named the three bidders shortlisted for Ughelli Power as Feniks Electricity, Transcorp and Wood Rock/Symbion Power/Medea/PSL/Thomasen and Amperion Power Distribution Ltd.

For Sapele Power Plc, CMEC/EURAFRIC Energy and JBN-Nestoil Power Services were shortlisted, while Amperion Power Distribution Ltd emerged for Geregu Power Plc.

Also Mainstream Energy Solutions was shortlisted for the Kainji Power Plc while North-South Power was listed for Shiroro Power Plc.

On Afam Power Plc, the sixth generation company put up for sale, the privatisation agency said no bidder was technically qualified for the company.

It could be recalled that on September 18, the NCP approved a list of prospective investors qualified to bid for 10 electricity distribution companies in the country.

The electricity distribution firms proposed for sale are located in Ibadan, Ikeja, Abuja, Enugu, Jos, Eko, Port Harcourt, Yola, Kano, Benin and Kaduna.

The NCP said Ikeja Distribution Company received the highest number of qualified bids with eight firms.

They are Oando Consortium, Amperion Power Distribution Company Ltd, Honeywell Energy Resources Limited and Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company.

Others are Vigeo Holdings, Gumco, African Corporation AFC and CESC, Kepco/NEDC Consortium, West Power and Gas; and Rockson Engineering.

The Eko Distribution Company received the second highest number of bids with six firms showing interest.

The bidders are Oando Consortium, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company, Sepco-Pacific Energy Consortium, Kepco/NEDC Consortium, Honeywell Energy Resources Limited, West Power and Gas as well as Rockson Engineering.

Three bidders shortlisted for Ibadan Distribution Company are Western Consortium, Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company and Kepco/NEDC Consortium.

For the Abuja Distribution Firm, the NCP approved two bids, namely, Kam Consortium Utility Company Ltd and Interstate Electrics Ltd.

Also, four firms emerged for the Enugu company, namely Rensmart Power Ltd, Proglobal Power International consortium, Interstate Electrics and Eastern Electric Nigeria Ltd.

Aura Energy Limited was the only bidder for the Jos Distribution company, while Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company emerged for Yola and Sahelian Power SPV Ltd was named for Kano.

Furthermore two bidders were shortlisted for the Port Harcourt Distribution Company, namely, 4Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering.

For the Benin Distribution company four firms emerged, namely, Southern Electric Distribution Company, Rensmart Power Ltd, Vigeo Power Consortium and Rockson Engineering.

The prospective bidders listed by the NCP were for 10 distribution companies, excluding the Kaduna Distribution Company.

The council said the two bids received for Kaduna were not “technically qualified’’ and added that fresh bids would be invited from all the pre-qualified bidders in respect of the company.

This implies that all the 54 companies that previously submitted technical and financial bids to acquire majority stakes in the 11 distribution companies would be eligible for the fresh bid.

 

 

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Power

Nigeria To Face Increase In Electricity Tariffs From July

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According to reports, Nigeria’s population may face more challenging times ahead as electricity tariffs are projected to increase by over 40 percent in the near future.

 

This rise in tariffs could ultimately result in the elimination of all energy subsidies in the country.

 

Currently, the electricity sector relies on a monthly subsidy of approximately N50 billion, stemming from a shortfall in revenue.

 

The tariff hike, scheduled to take effect from July 1, will pose another significant test for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and its ongoing market reforms.

 

The government has already taken steps to remove subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and implemented a floating exchange rate for the national currency.

 

These decisions have added complexity to the price-setting process of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and its 2022 Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).

 

Despite power sector players failing to meet the target of supplying a minimum of 5,000 megawatts, even after signing contracts with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the current Service Based Tariff (SBT) is based on an exchange rate of N441/$ and an inflation rate of 16.97 percent.

 

According to NERC’s directives in 2015, the average tariff for distribution companies (DisCos) and different categories of end-users was N25 per kilowatt, as per Order 198/2020, which came into effect on September 1, 2020.

 

However, in the MYTO for 2022, the average tariff increased to N60 per kilowatt across all customer categories, and in the most recent update, it stands at N64 per kilowatt.

 

The determination of the 2015 tariff relied on a foreign exchange rate of N198.97/$, which increased to N383.80/$ in 2020 and further to N441.78/$ in 2022. In terms of inflation, the 2015 MYTO utilized an 8.3 percent rate, which rose to 12 percent in 2020 and reached 16.97 percent in 2022.

 

Currently, the inflation rate stands at 22.41 percent, and experts predict it could reach 30 percent by the end of June, considering the floating of the naira and the removal of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

 

The tariff determination process takes into account various factors, including the significant metering gap of over seven million, gas prices, losses within the system, and the actual generation capacity. These elements play a role in determining the final tariff.

 

As anticipated, NERC had projected that the tariff for July 2023 would eliminate subsidies and introduce increases to the previously frozen tariff bands D and E.

 

These adjustments were intended to raise the bands from N54.59/kilowatt to N62.16 for band D and from N48.37/kilowatt to N61.16 on average. Moreover, the average increase across all bands was expected to reach N67/kilowatt.

 

However, due to the ongoing floating of the naira and the significant inflationary pressures, it is now projected that the new average tariff will need to be approximately N88/kilowatt for the power sector to recover its costs.

 

According to energy lawyer Madaki Ameh, the continuous and frequent increases in power tariffs are akin to a form of blackmail against electricity consumers.

 

Amen said “Indexing the cost of electricity on the dollar is a huge mistake because most of the inputs for electricity supply are local. The DisCos are also holding Nigerians to ransom by failing to increase the supply base, thereby spreading the tariffs across a broader spectrum of consumers to reduce the unit cost of electricity.”

 

He insisted that as long as there remain many unmetered consumers and many others not connected to the grid at all, the few consumers on the grid would continue to be subjected to unjust tariffs, which are not reflective of the quality of service delivered.

 

Ameh hoped that the signing into law of the new Electricity Act would mark “the beginning of light at the end of the long tunnel of inefficient and epileptic power supply in Nigeria.”

 

Segun Ajibola, the former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and a professor of Economics at Babcock University, highlighted that there remains a gap between the cost of electricity and the value it provides in exchange.

 

“Nigerians are still struggling to keep pace with the cost of energy for business and household use. If the electricity tariff goes up as envisaged, the question remains if there will be value for the quantum of electricity so paid for.

 

“The truth remains that if electricity supply is constant, of the right quantity and quality, the envisaged upward review in the tariff will be gladly absorbed by the populace,” he said.

 

Lanre Elatuyi, an Electricity Market Analyst, expressed that the recently implemented tariff rate would have significant implications. He emphasized that the devaluation of the Nigerian currency poses a major challenge for companies with dollar-denominated loans to repay.

 

He said “They will need more naira today to buy a dollar. They need to manage their exposure to foreign exchange risk. Even operators of hydro plants pay their concession fees in dollars. So, wholesale electricity price will be adjusted upward and this will get to the end users’ tariffs too.”

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Power

Buhari’s Gov, State Governors Secretly Sold 5 Power Plants – Shehu Sani

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Senator Shehu Sani, a prominent Nigerian lawmaker has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and state governors of secretly selling five power generating plants without disclosing the utilization of the funds received.

 

He disclosed this in his Twitter handle on Monday.

 

Senator Sani, known for his outspoken nature and activism expresses his concerns over the alleged undisclosed sale of the power plants.

 

He claimed that the government, in collaboration with state governors, had carried out the transactions without informing the Nigerian public about the purpose of the funds acquired from the sale.

 

The post reads “Buhari’s Government in collaboration with the State Governors quietly sold the five power generating plants without telling the country what the money was used for.

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Power

Nigeria’s VP Inaugurates 240MW Afam 3 Fast Power Project

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The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has inaugurated the Afam 3 Fast Power 240-megawatt turbine project in Rivers State.

 

The project, which is a subsidiary of the Transcorp Group located in Oyigbo, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt in the state, was unveiled during a ceremony that took place on Tuesday.

 

The event, which was attended by several dignitaries, including the Chairman of Transcorp Group, Tony Elumelu, and other top officials, saw the Vice President arriving at the venue in a chopper at exactly 11:35 am.

 

Upon his arrival, he was escorted into the premises where he officially inaugurated the project.

 

During his speech at the event, he disclosed that the acquisition of the project was approved by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) and the acquisition cost was ₦105.3 trillion.

 

Osinbajo further emphasized that the successful completion of the project is a significant breakthrough in Nigeria’s power sector.

 

In his address, Osinbajo said, “In 2020, electricity subsidies reached N584 billion, but service-based tariffs have led to a doubling of collection in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry from N40 billion in 2020 to N80 billion in the first quarter of 2023.

 

“If this trajectory continues, the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry will be able to pay for itself. Our administration has also created programs for off-grid for electrification. Rural Electrification Agency now has the capacity to provide electricity supply on a first-class basis.

 

“We are on track to electrify all Nigerians in the next decade. However, we will not make progress if our gas supply does not improve. The gas supply challenges are hampering improvements.”

 

He further lauded General Electric, the National Council on Privatization (NCP), and the host communities for their contribution to the completion of the Afam 3 Fast Power 240-megawatt turbine project in Rivers State.

 

Osinbajo highlighted that the successful completion of the project will significantly increase the country’s power supply capacity, leading to a better quality of life for Nigerians.

 

In November 2020, the federal government and the Transcorp Power Consortium signed a share sale and purchase agreement in relation to Afam Power Plc and Afam 3 Fast Power Limited.

 

The National Council on Privatization approved the privatization of the Afam Power Plant back in August 2017, which triggered a competitive bidding process involving 12 prospective investors.

 

After careful consideration, Transcorp Power Consortium emerged as the preferred bidder with a combined offer of N105 billion.

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