Business

JUST IN: FG scrambles to avert Gencos shutdown over N4tn debt

Published

7 months ago

April 15, 2025

183 Views

Minister of Power has pledged to address N4tn electricity debt owed by GenCos, which saw the electricity distribution companies threatening a shutdown on Monday.

Weighing in on the development, the special adviser to the Power Minister, Bolaji Tunji, said the government is aware of the development and is making concrete steps to resolve the lingering issue.

He said as part of the steps taken by the government, the Ministry of Finance will take charge of the payment very soon.

The media aide responding on Monday said, “We are not unaware of this debt arising from the FG’s commitment on subsidy. Part of the debts are legacy debts, which were on the ground before the Minister of Power assumed office.

The Minister of Power has repeatedly harped on this, knowing the implication of such debts to the operations of the various power sector stakeholders, especially the GENCOs.

The Minister of Power is very much concerned.

“The issue is being discussed with the Ministry of Finance, making a case for how the debt must be paid. We expect the Ministry of Finance to take action on this soon.

”A nationwide blackout looked imminent as the 23 power generation companies warned that they can no longer guarantee a steady electricity supply due to the worsening liquidity crisis in the electricity market, with outstanding debts now exceeding N4tn, comprising N2tn for power supplied in 2024 and N1.9tn in legacy debts.

The firms, under the aegis of the Association of Power Generation Companies, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Col. Sani Bello (retd.).

They said the debt burden and operational constraints currently facing the companies could force an imminent shutdown of power plants if urgent interventions were not implemented.

The companies noted that plants were being paid less than 30 per cent of monthly invoices for power supplied to the national grid.

They warned that the continued non-payment for electricity generated and consumed on the national grid was pushing the Nigerian power sector towards a total collapse.

The statement, titled ‘Over N4tn unpaid invoices threaten GenCos imminent shutdown’, lamented the lack of a clear financing plan from the Federal Government, alongside worsening fiscal and operational constraints within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

They also accused the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and other stakeholders of neglecting GenCos in the application of the NESI’s “waterfall arrangement”, which sees other service providers receive 100 per cent of their market invoices while GenCos get as little as 9 per cent to 11 per cent of what is due.

The statement read, “The Power Generation Companies (‘GenCos”) are constrained to issue this press release to draw the attention of the Federal Government and key stakeholders to the need to urgently address the issue of inadequate payment for electricity generated by them and consumed on the national grid, which is currently threatening the continued operation of their power generation plants.

Against the backdrop of the many challenges facing the power sector in Nigeria, the crises from cash liquidity are on the top burner and have reduced GenCos’ ability to continue to perform their obligations, thereby threatening to completely undermine the electricity value chain.

“In light of the severity of the issues highlighted above, the GenCos are requesting that immediate and expedited action be taken to prevent national security challenges that may result from the failure of the GenCos to sustain steady generation of electricity for Nigerians.”

Recall that in February, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed that the government owes electricity generation companies and electricity distribution companies over ₦4 trillion in electricity subsidies.

Giving a breakdown, the minister said N2 trillion is owed to GenCos as legacy debt, while another N1.9 trillion is owed to them as part of the electricity subsidy for 2024, while DisCos are owed N450 billion for the 2024 electricity subsidy.

In the statement released under the umbrella of the Association of Power Generation Companies, the GenCos expressed deep frustration over what they described as “inadequate payment for electricity generated and consumed on the national grid.

They described it as a major threat to the viability of their power plants.

The group said despite investing significantly in ramping up generation capacity since the sector’s privatisation in 2013, the absence of firm contracts, poor enforcement of power purchase agreements, and persistent non-payment of invoices have crippled their operations.

The companies also pointed out that hopes of being settled through external support mechanisms like the World Bank’s Power Sector Recovery Operation have been dashed due to other market players’ failure to meet required performance targets.

The statement reads, “GenCos, on their part as responsible investors with patriotic zeal, have made large-scale investments and have continued to demonstrate absolute commitment by ramping capacities in line with their contract over these 10 years, amid system constraints, policies & regulations that are not investor-friendly, increasing debts owed by the FGN without a clear financing plan, a lack of firm contracts and a market without securitisation but based on best endeavours, thereby hampering future planning.“

Notwithstanding this and other severe difficulties the GenCos have battled with since takeover in 2013, they have kept to the terms of their contractual agreements by ramping up capacity, which has been largely constrained systemically.“

The GenCos expectations of being settled through external support, such as the World Bank PSRO, have also been dampened due to other market participants’ inability to meet their respective distribution-linked indicators, enshrined in the Power Sector Recovery Program.”

To avert a total shutdown of power generation across the country, the GenCos issued a list of urgent demands to the Federal Government: The GenCos warned that unless urgent and coordinated steps are taken to address the liquidity crunch, Nigeria’s electricity supply could collapse, with dire consequences for national security, economic growth, and public welfare.

The GenCos added, ” In light of the severity of the issues highlighted above, the GenCos are requesting that immediate and expedited action be taken to prevent national security challenges that may result from the failure of the GenCos to sustain steady generation of electricity for Nigerians.

“The 2024 collection rate has dropped below 30 per cent, and 2025 is not any better, severely affecting GenCos’ ability to meet financial obligations.

Tax and Regulatory Challenges: High corporate income tax, concession fees, royalty charges, and new FRC compliance obligations are further straining GenCos’ revenue.

GenCos are currently owed about N4 trillion (N2 trillion for 2024 and N1.9 trillion in legacy debts). No possible solutions, including cash payments, financial instruments, and debt swaps, are in sight.

“The 2025 government budget allocates only N900 billion, raising concerns about its adequacy to cover arrears and future payments.

The power generated by GenCos has continued to be consumed in full without corresponding full payment, notwithstanding the commencement of the Partial Activation of Contracts in the NESI, which took effect from July 1, 2022; the minimum remittance order; bilateral market declaration; waterfall arrangement; the risks of inflation; forex volatility with no dedicated window to cushion the effect of the forex impact; or the supplementary MYTO order, which leaves about 90 per cent of GenCos monthly invoices unmet without a bankable securitisation or financing plan.

This situation has dire consequences for the GenCos and, by extension, the entire power value chain”.

The companies that called for the implementation of payment plans to settle all outstanding GenCos invoices observed that “the flow of money within the power industry is one of the fundamental problems preventing Nigerians from enjoying continued and sustainable improvement in electricity supply”.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Engr Jennifer Adighije, says President Bola Tinubu is intervening to settle the liquidity crisis in the power sector.

Adighije stated this recently while being honoured as the Young Achiever of the Year at the 2025 Energy Times Awards for her contributions to the power sector.

Speaking with newsmen at the award presentation dinner, the managing director described the award as a humbling experience, especially for a new management team that has been in the office for less than a year.

According to her, the central issue in the power sector is about liquidity, and once there is enough cash flow, the issue will be resolved.

Business

At age 16, he spent $23 to buy a website domain. 9 years later, his blue-collar business brings in $1.3 million a year

Almost a decade later, what started as a blue-collar side hustle by two brothers, now has over 20 employees and is on track to bring in about $2.3 million in 2025, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Published

11 minutes ago

November 24, 2025

OCHEFA

8 Views

Image credit: CNBC

Growing up, Zames Chew thought he wanted to work a white-collar role at a company like Google, but his career took a different turn.

Today, the 26-year-old runs the Singapore-based handyman service Repair.sg, alongside his 24-year-old brother and co-founder, Amos Chew.

In 2024, their Singapore-based company Repair.sg brought in 1.7 million Singapore dollars (about $1.3 million), according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

“When I was younger, my dream was always to work in big tech,” said Chew. But one day in early 2016, he discovered a gap in the market.

“Our parents were looking for a service provider to fix something around the house,” said Chew. “I was just looking online, and … there [seemed] to be nowhere to find service providers [online] back in the day.

So I was like … let me put together a website and see what happens from there.”

So, at age 16, Chew spent 30 Singapore dollars (about $23) to buy a website domain name, had his father help him register the business, and Repair.sg was born.

Starting a side hustle at 16

As kids, the Chew brothers loved being hands-on.

“My brother and I would do everything together. That means building Legos, building PCs, taking things apart,” said Chew.

”[We] have always been building projects together, and it has [been] our dream to … work together when we became adults.”

The two were able to realize this dream during their teenage years after starting Repair.sg.

The company gained momentum slowly until the last few years when its growth started to soar, said Chew.

For the first three years of the company, the brothers were still in school, so they had to squeeze in work for the business in between classes, or during their evenings.

What a lot of people don’t know is that there’s a lot of education … [and] licensing behind some of the services that we do, and it goes beyond just taking a screwdriver and hammer [to] things,” he said.

So they spent years acquiring the knowledge, skills and licenses necessary to run their business.

In addition, before the business scaled, they would take on most jobs themselves such as replacing lights, and fixing furniture.

“For the first seven years, up until perhaps even early 2024, [the business] was basically at the brink of death most of the time,” said Chew. “We were young and weren’t very good business owners.”

Credit: CNBC

Business

Disasters cost global agriculture $3.26 trillion over three decades – FAO

FAO discloses this in its new report released in November 2025, tagged ,’ The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025.’

Published

58 minutes ago

November 24, 2025

OCHEFA

15 Views

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says that disasters have inflicted an estimated $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses worldwide over the past 33 years – an average of $99 billion annually, roughly 4 percent of global agricultural GDP.

FAO discloses this in its new report released in November 2025, tagged ,’ The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025.’

The report highlights how digital technologies are transforming how farmers, governments and communities can monitor risks, anticipate impacts, and protect livelihoods.

The report provides the most comprehensive global assessment to date of how disasters – from droughts and floods to pests and marine heatwaves – are disrupting food production, livelihoods and nutrition.

It also demonstrates how digital innovations are shifting agrifood systems from reactive crisis management to proactive data-driven resilience-building.

“Digital technologies are already revolutionizing how we monitor risks, deliver early warnings and support farmers’ decision-making.

From the 9.1 million farmers now accessing parametric insurance through digital platforms to the communities using our early warning systems to evacuate 90 percent of at-risk populations before disasters strike, we are witnessing a fundamental shift from reactive response to proactive risk reduction.” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in the foreword to the report.

Heavy toll on global food security

Between 1991 and 2023, disasters wiped out 4.6 billion tonnes of cereals, 2.8 billion tonnes of fruits and vegetables, and 900 million tonnes of meat and dairy.

These losses translate to a daily per capita reduction of 320 kilocalories – 13–16 percent of average energy needs.

Asia accounts for the largest share of global losses of 47 percent, totaling $1.53 trillion, reflecting both the scale of agricultural production and the region’s high exposure to floods, storms and droughts.

The Americas represent 22 percent of global losses or $713 billion, driven by recurrent droughts, hurricanes, and extreme temperature events that heavily impact large commodity crop systems.

Africa, while recording lower absolute losses of $611 billion, suffers the highest proportional impacts, losing 7.4 percent of agricultural GDP to disasters – the largest relative burden of any region.

In economies where agriculture accounts for a significant share of employment and income, these losses have had severe consequences for food security and rural stability.Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remain among the world’s most vulnerable to disasters such as cyclones, floods, and sea-level rise.

Despite relatively small agricultural output, disaster-related losses represent a disproportionately high share of agricultural GDP.

The report also finds that marine heatwaves caused $6.6 billion in losses between 1985 and 2022, affecting 15 percent of global fisheries. Yet, losses in fisheries and aquaculture remain largely invisible in disaster assessments, despite supporting the livelihoods of 500 million people.

Business

LASG set to invest N244.82bn bond proceeds into key sectors

Sanwo-Olu said that the state’s bond-market trajectory had been characterised by steady breakthroughs since his administration assumed office.

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2025

OCHEFA

18 Views

LAGOS State Government has announced plans to channel the proceeds from its recent bond issuance, totalling N244.82 billion, into critical infrastructure development.

The funds will be invested in key sectors, including transportation, housing, environmental sustainability, healthcare, and education, with the aim of driving sustainable and inclusive growth in the state.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke at the state’s Ministry of Finance and Debt Management Office bond-signing ceremony held over the weekend, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to responsible financial stewardship and thanked the investors for the confidence they continue to show in Lagos State.

He noted that the event marked the final stage in the documentation for both the state’s green bond and its conventional bond under the Lagos State N1 trillion Debt and Hybrid Instruments Issuance Programme.

Sanwo-Olu said that the state’s bond-market trajectory had been characterised by steady breakthroughs since his administration assumed office.

He recalled that the first bond issued in 2020, valued at roughly between N100 billion and N110 billion, set a new benchmark at the time, and each subsequent issuance has exceeded the record set before it.

(From the Guardian)