The Sun
At Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), JP Attueyi, a specialist in enterprise information technology and transformation, led the digital transformation of Nigeria’s second-largest electricity distribution company. Looking back at that experience and in-depth understanding of the electricity industry, he, in this panel interview, dissects Nigeria’s electricity problems, the path forward and the implications for the economy, amongst others.
What impact do you expect initiatives such as the one developed by the World Bank for the digital economy in Africa to have on the development of Africa and, particularly, Nigeria?
The World Bank’s initiative represents a timely and strategic intervention to transform Africa into a competitive global economic force through technology. As Africa’s largest economy and home to one of the world’s most youthful populations, over 200 million strong, Nigeria stands at a critical advantage to lead this digital transformation.
The long-term impact on Nigeria could be truly transformative, provided the country accelerates progress across five core pillars of a digital economy: digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services, digital entrepreneurship, and digital skills.
As a consultant working closely with stakeholders in this space, I see firsthand the potential for similar technology-led reforms to drive inclusive growth.
One of the World Bank’s projects is aimed at providing access to electricity to over 200 million people. What is the level of electrification of the continent and the country, and what are the forecasts for demand in the coming years?
Nigeria, as the most populous country in Africa, holds immense potential for economic and social development. By 2050, its population is projected to exceed 377 million, placing substantial pressure on the nation’s electricity demand. Yet today, the electrification gap remains stark: in 2023, the World Bank reported that over 85 million Nigerians, nearly 36% of the population, still lacked access to grid electricity, making Nigeria one of the countries with the largest energy access deficits globally.
The opportunity for transformation, however, is equally significant. Nigeria is blessed with abundant renewable energy resources, especially solar. This opens the door for a hybrid electrification model, combining traditional grid extension with decentralised energy solutions such as solar hybrid mini-grids and solar home systems, particularly in rural and underserved regions.
How will the modernisation of Nigeria’s electricity system help to achieve the economic transformation agenda of the government?
As Nigeria steadily moves away from oil dependency, several dynamic sectors are gaining momentum, including agritech, technology start-ups, digital education platforms, manufacturing, and data centres.
These industries represent the future of Nigeria’s economy, but their growth is heavily dependent on a reliable power supply.
Unfortunately, Nigeria continues to struggle with inadequate electricity capacity. With a population exceeding 200 million, the country currently has access to only about 4,500MW of electricity. To put that in perspective, Egypt, with a population of roughly 140 million, generates over 38,000MW. This comparison starkly highlights the need for urgent investment and modernisation across Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
To meet rising demand and support the growth of emerging sectors, distribution companies (Discos) must become far more efficient in managing the limited power supplied by generation companies. This level of efficiency is simply not possible without deploying modern, intelligent technologies.
Modernisation and digitalisation are crucial for the growth of utilities across Africa, and Nigeria is taking meaningful steps in this direction. The continent has recognised early on the benefits of digital technologies, improving efficiency, decision-making, and customer satisfaction.
In Nigeria, the energy sector plays a key role in driving economic and social development. With initiatives like the ₦700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative and the World Bank-funded plan to install 4.3 million metres by 2025, we are seeing positive strides toward improving electricity supply, billing accuracy, and customer experience. These programmes also include end-to-end infrastructure like smart metres, communication systems, and data management tools.
Still, challenges remain. Over seven million Nigerian customers remain unmetered, highlighting a major gap. Digital technologies such as IoT, AI, and big data can help close this gap by improving real-time monitoring, reducing energy theft, enabling predictive maintenance, and optimising asset use.
Smart grid development is also key, allowing for efficient power distribution, integration of renewables, and greater grid flexibility. This leads to a more sustainable, resilient system and empowers consumers through real-time data and demand-response participation.
Achieving this transformation requires strong collaboration between the government, the private sector, and development partners. Support from institutions like the World Bank and African Development Bank will be essential in enabling DISCOs to meet performance targets and attract private investment.
In short, digital transformation in Nigeria’s power sector is both promising and essential for companies, consumers, and the country’s economic future.
Compared to other African countries, where there is only one Disco, Nigeria, with 11 Discos, is quite unique. Is this an advantage or a challenge, looking at it from the business as well as the user’s perspectives?
This is a question I receive quite often, and it’s an important one. The structure of Nigeria’s power sector, with 11 independently operated Discos, is indeed a unique outcome of the country’s privatisation process.
Globally, electricity is often considered a matter of national security and is rarely left entirely in private hands. However, Nigeria chose to pursue a more decentralised approach, and while it’s unconventional, it also presents an opportunity for innovation, if managed correctly.
On the positive side, this model offers several potential advantages, including regional specialisation, innovation hubs and healthy competition. Nigeria is a complex, diverse nation. A decentralised system allows for tailored strategies, localised infrastructure development, and region-specific customer service models.
Also, with multiple Discos, there is room to test and pilot new ideas locally before scaling them nationally. What works in Lagos, for instance, can inform improvements in other regions. Besides, the presence of multiple players can foster competition, which, when properly regulated, may drive service improvements and innovation.
However, the model is not without its challenges, including fragmentation and silos, service inequity and grid instability. The Discos often operate independently, with little alignment in strategy or investment.
This creates a patchwork of progress where national stability becomes dependent on all 11 performing optimally; an unlikely scenario under current conditions. Also, tariffs vary significantly across regions, and so does service quality.
Some customers enjoy a more reliable supply at lower costs, while others face persistent outages and estimated billing. And, without coordinated planning and harmonised technical standards, the national grid remains vulnerable to system collapses, load rejection, and frequency imbalances.
So, is it an advantage or a disadvantage? The answer is nuanced. The structure could be an asset, and the data suggests it holds potential, but in its current form, it presents significant operational and systemic challenges. This is precisely where technology becomes essential. I believe that smart grid systems, real-time data, and integrated commercial management platforms can bring order, efficiency, and coordination to a fragmented sector.
For policymakers and investors, this is a moment to rethink how decentralisation can be transformed from a liability into a strategic strength, with the right tools and partners in place.
Looking back at your time at EKEDC, what were your experiences like?
Reflecting on my 11-year journey at EKEDC, including my time at WPG, I remain deeply grateful for the professional opportunities, leadership support, and strong team culture that shaped my experience. Serving as Chief Information Officer was both a privilege and a transformative experience. I’m proud of the legacy we built and the progress we achieved as a team.
One of the most significant challenges I encountered was steering the organization through digital transformation in a post-privatisation era. When the Discos were handed over to private entities, the IT landscape was almost nonexistent, limited primarily to billing and prepaid departments. There were no integrated systems, minimal data visibility, and manual processes that hindered efficiency and growth.
With the backing of the Board and Executive Management, I led the development of a comprehensive 10-year digital transformation roadmap. This initiative reimagined EKEDC’s operations from the ground up, spanning customer service, commercial operations, metering, and network management.
The cornerstone of this journey was the successful deployment of Minsait’s Onesait Customer Management System, a modern, end-to-end platform that will redefine how EKEDC engages with its customers, manages revenue, and operates commercially. This is not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic shift. One that lays down the foundation for data-driven decision-making and operational excellence.
Leading this transformation taught me that real progress in the Nigerian power sector requires not just infrastructure but also a bold vision, cross-functional collaboration, and trusted partners who understand the unique challenges of the market. I’m honoured to have played a part in EKEDC’s evolution and look forward to helping other Discos, investors, and stakeholders replicate and scale this success across the industry.
Talking about Onesait Customers, tell us more about this and how this could revolutionise the electricity industry?
The Onesait Customers platform, developed by Minsait (an Indra company), is a comprehensive commercial management system designed specifically for utility companies. At EKEDC, we implemented this solution to modernise and integrate our entire commercial cycle, from customer acquisition to revenue collection.
Thanks to Onesait Customers, EKEDC now has a fully digitised and automated ecosystem that covers every step of the commercial process: contract initiation, metre installation and configuration, consumption data capture, billing, collections, customer service, and complaint resolution. All of this is managed on a single platform, giving them real-time visibility, operational efficiency, and greater transparency.
Beyond automation, the real value of the system lies in its data-driven capabilities. It enables EKEDC to process and analyse large volumes of consumption and behavioural data, which in turn will improve billing accuracy, reduce losses, enhance service delivery, and help EKEDC better understand and serve its customers.
The implementation of Onesait Customers has been a significant milestone in their digital transformation journey. One that sets the stage for smarter energy management and paves the way for more advanced technologies such as outage management systems, meter data management, Enterprise asset management, distribution management system, SCADA and AI-powered customer insights.
It also demonstrates the value of working with experienced technology partners who not only understand the global utility space but can also adapt solutions to local realities.
Choosing a technology partner for a transformation of this scale is not a decision we took lightly. We needed a solution that was not only robust and scalable but also tailored to the unique challenges of the African energy sector. Minsait’s Onesait Customers stood out as a best-in-class, all-in-one commercial management platform — fully capable of supporting EKEDC’s diverse business processes across prepaid, postpaid, and large customer segments.
What set Minsait apart was the proven maturity of their solution. Recognised by top industry analysts such as Gartner and IDC, Onesait Customers is already deployed in 14 countries across Africa and supports more than 20 million customers on the continent. That gave us confidence in its reliability and performance in real-world conditions similar to ours.
In addition to its technical capabilities, Minsait demonstrated a deep understanding of end-to-end utility operations, from generation and transmission to distribution and retail. That level of business insight is rare among technology vendors, and it’s especially valuable in markets like Nigeria, where utilities face both operational and regulatory complexities.
Equally important was Minsait’s long-standing commitment to Africa. The company has been working on the continent since 1995 and has steadily built a strong regional presence, including a dedicated Support and Maintenance Centre in Nairobi with over 80 consultants. This local footprint gives us confidence in ongoing support and knowledge transfer. Two critical factors in sustaining any digital transformation.
Ultimately, our choice of Minsait reflects our vision: to partner with organisations that not only bring world-class technology but also a long-term commitment to building capacity and driving impact across Africa’s power sector. Their track record, regional expertise, and shared ambition made them the right partner for EKEDC and potentially for other DISCOs across Nigeria.
Some of the objectives that drove the technological change were improved customers’ relationship and cost management. What have been the results?
Absolutely. One of the most significant outcomes of implementing Minsait’s Onesait Customers solution has been the transformation of how they engage with our customers. The platform enables 24/7 access through mobile applications and web portals, empowering customers to carry out transactions, track consumption, and resolve queries anytime, from anywhere, and has significantly enhanced customer satisfaction.
From a revenue perspective, the prepaid functionality and integrated mobile payment options have streamlined the collection process and reduced the burden of manual transactions. The solution has improved transparency, and it is expected to, with time, reduce complaints around estimated billing.
For us, it wasn’t just about deploying technology; it was about redefining the customer experience. And thanks to this solution, they are well on their way. We believe that customer-centric digital transformation is not only possible in Nigeria, it’s essential.
Can the case of EKEDC be extrapolated to the rest of the DISCOs?
Absolutely. The challenges faced by EKEDC are common across all 11 Nigerian DISCOs. Despite the 2013 privatisation, major investment is still needed in distribution infrastructure to serve Nigeria’s population of over 200 million. DISCOs continue to face systemic issues like ageing and poorly maintained networks, low metre penetration, electricity theft, delayed bill payments, inadequate customer data and limited rural access.
According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collection (ATC&C) losses remain high, averaging 35.22 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, with 16.34 per cent technical-commercial losses and 22.56 per cent collection losses. This level of loss is unsustainable.
EKEDC’s adoption of the Onesait Customer Management System offers a model for the others. The capabilities can directly address Discos’ shared commercial challenges. While regional differences exist, the
EKEDC’s case demonstrates that digital solutions like Onesait are scalable and can significantly improve efficiency, financial health, and customer service across the entire sector.
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