News
Power Supply to Nigerian Households Down to 37%- NOI report

Power supply to Nigerian households in fourth quarter 2016 (4Q2016) declined as only an average of 37 percent reported improvement in power supply, as revealed in aggregated power poll results released by NOIPolls for the second half of 2016 (July to December 2016) covering Q3 and Q4.
This represents a significant 9-point decline when compared to the third quarter (Q3) of 2016 at 46 percent.
According to the report, Nigerians experienced the highest improvement in power supply in Q3 (46 percent) and this was possibly as a result of the adequate water reserves in the nation’s water dams within this period (the peak of the rainy season) used to power the Hydro Generating Plants since Nigeria’s Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba hydro plants rely on water to generate electricity.
A view of the individual months covered in this period revealed a constant downward trend observed from the month of October to December 2016 and the month of December accounted for the lowest (27 percent) improvement in power supply in the second half of 2016.
Similarly, analysis of the monthly average cumulative hours of power supply experienced by Nigerian households nationwide for the months of August and September 2016 each stood at 10.6 hours daily, representing the highest daily cumulative hours of power supply within the six-month period while the quarterly nationwide average daily cumulative power supply to Nigerian households in Q3, 2016 stood at 9.9 hours.
It is pertinent to note that although these daily average hours of cumulative availability of power were not near an acceptable standard of 24 hours’ daily supply, it was perceived to be a little better than the results obtained in Q1, Q2 and Q4, 2016 with the quarterly nationwide average daily cumulative power supply of 8.8 hours, 6 hours and 9.6 hours respectively.
These current results were in line with the power industry statistics obtained from the National Electric System Operation (SO) which showed that electricity generation improved step by step in the third and fourth quarter of the year across the country as power generation hovered above 4,000MW, contrary to around 2,500 to 3,000 megawatts in the second quarter.
Nonetheless, more still needs to be done to find a pragmatic solution to issues militating against power generation, transmission and distribution as anything short of this is capable of affecting development in the county.
Lastly, the power insufficiency in the country is of great concern and calls for immediate action to address this persistent problem. Nigerians are not oblivious of the tremendous efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria at salvaging the Nigerian economy, but without fixing the power sector, those efforts would be futile. This is because constant electricity supply is pivotal to achieving socio-economic development and as a nation that craves immense development in this regard; more needs to be done. These are some of the key findings from the aggregated power sector poll conducted by NOIPolls over a period of six months (July to December 2016).
Survey Findings- Nationwide Monthly Tracking of Power Supply
Analysis of findings from the monthly tracking of power supply over a period of six months, precisely from July to December 2016, revealed that 53 percent of Nigerians experienced more power supply in the month of September. However, a constant downward trend was observed from the month of October to December 2016 and the month of December accounted for the lowest (27 percent) in power supply in the second half of 2016.
Subsequently, quarterly analysis of results revealed that Q3, 2016 recorded the highest average improvement in power supply nationwide with 46 percent and this figure represents a significant 9-point decline when compared to Q4, 2016.
This implies that most Nigerians experienced less power supply in their household in the fourth quarter (Q4) than in the third quarter (Q3) of 2016.
An overall analysis of 2016 showed that Nigerians experienced the highest improvement (46 percent) in power supply in Q3. On the other hand, Nigerians experienced the lowest (17 percent) power supply in Q2 and this represents a huge 29-point difference between the two quarters.
Further analysis of the monthly average cumulative hours of power supply experienced by Nigerian households nationwide for the months of August and September 2016 each stood at 10.6 hours daily and they both represent the highest daily cumulative hours of power supply within the six months period. On the contrary, the lowest daily cumulative hours of power supply was observed in the months of July 2016 at 8.6 hours, according to NOI Polls report.
News
NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
News
Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
News
CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
- General News2 days ago
FG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August
- E-Business2 days ago
Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend
- Telecom2 days ago
MTN Media Innovation Programme Fellows Gain Insight into Nigeria’s Connectivity Backbone
- E-Financial2 days ago
Cardoso, CBN Boss Risks Arrest over Alleged N5.2 Trillion Unremitted Funds
- General News2 days ago
Experts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum
- General News2 days ago
UK Businesses Look to Africa As Strategic Growth Partners
- Telecom2 days ago
Driving Digital Inclusion: Anambra’s Mobile Tech Hub Brings Free WiFi to the People
- Telecom3 days ago
Airtel Africa Grew Customer Base to 169m as Q1 Revenue Hits $1.4 Billion