General
Nigeria Suffers Drop in Consumer Confidence Index
A new report by Nielsen Africa has revealed that the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) of Nigeria has dropped five points to 112, while that of Ghana went down by four points to 114 in the third quarter of 2019 from 118 in the previous quarter.
In a statement made available to Business Post, it was stated that these two sets of results present a fairly stable, albeit a slightly less positive picture of consumer sentiment across West Africa compared to the previous quarter.
“Nigerians are experiencing a subdued confidence level considering that inflation has started to rise again and the proposed VAT increase bill, which is making people cautious.
“Furthermore, the rising sovereign debt and the anxiety around further Naira devaluation, continued to impact consumer sentiment in Nigeria in the third quarter,” Managing Director of Nielsen for Nigeria, Mr Ged Nooy, was quoted as saying.
Looking at the consumer picture, Nigerians immediate-spending intentions has shown a large decline; with only 41 percent of consumers (versus 54 percent in the previous quarter) saying now is a good or excellent time to purchase what they want or need. Their perception around job prospects has also declined, with 55 percent viewing them as excellent or good, a five-point drop from the previous quarter.
In addition, sentiment around the state of personal finances has also shown a decline, with 76 percent Nigerians agreeing their state of personal finances will be excellent or good over the next year, a six-point drop from the previous quarter.
Looking at whether Nigerians have spare cash to spend, 47 percent said yes, versus 51 percent in the previous quarter. In terms of their spending priorities once they meet their essential living expenses, 76 percent would invest in home improvements/decorating, 72 percent would put their spare cash into savings and 62 percent say they will invest in shares/mutual funds.
Looking at the top concerns for Nigerians over the next six months, work/life balance tops the list with 28 percent, a one-point increase compared to the previous quarter. This is followed by concerns around increasing food prices at 22 percent (the same as Q2’19) and tolerance towards different religions (19 percent) superseding the economy, which is now at 16 percent, a four-point decrease compared to the previous quarter.
Elaborating on these results, Mr Nooy stated that, “Nigerian consumer sentiment dropped this quarter, however, it is still quite high compared to the cut off of 100, where anything above 100 reflects a positive consumer confidence. The key for marketers and retailers is to understand these fluctuating consumer sentiments and quickly adapt to the consumer’s needs.”
Looking at Ghana’s overall performance, Nielsen Market Lead for West Africa, Yannick Nkembe, noted that, “The initial optimism experienced at the beginning of the year is waning in Ghana owing to the concerns around the economy. Though inflation levels dropped, these have not shown a meaningful impact at the ground level and Ghanaians continue to feel the pressure. Consumers have become cautious of spending as they are not certain of future prospects.”
This more subdued outlook is reflected by Ghanaian consumers’ curtailed view of their job prospects, with a substantial 12-point decrease to 51 percent saying job prospects will be excellent or good in the next 12 months. In terms of the state of their personal finances over the next 12 months, 72 percent say they are excellent or good, down from 74 percent in the last quarter. The number of Ghanaian consumers who feel now is a good or excellent time to purchase the things they need or want, has also seen an inconsequential drop quarter on quarter, from 46 percent to 45 percent.
Looking at whether Ghanaians have spare cash, only 42 percent say yes, down a substantial 10 points from the previous quarter. Once they meet their essential living expenses, the highest number of consumers (82 percent) still say they will put their spare cash into savings, followed by 66 percent on home improvements/decorating and 59 percent who will invest in stocks and mutual funds.
When looking at the factors that are having a negative impact on Ghanaians outlook, the top concerns over the next six months are increasing food prices (26 percent) followed by work/life balance at 22 percent, the economy and tolerance towards different religions, both at 18 percent, and job security coming in fourth at 16 percent.
In light of their outlook, more than three quarters (72 percent) of Ghanaians have changed their spending to save on household expenses compared to the same time in the previous year.
The top three actions they have taken to save money are delaying the replacement of major household items (55 percent), looking for better deals on loans/insurance/credit cards (54 percent) and spending less on new clothes (53 percent).
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos) generated N196.13 billion in revenue in March 2026, despite billing customers a total of N246.43 billion during the month, according to the latest commercial performance report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The figure represents a slight decline from the N196.68 billion collected in February, highlighting persistent challenges in revenue recovery across the power distribution segment, even as energy supplied to the grid continued to improve.
NERC’s March 2026 fact sheet showed that electricity billing rose by 1.71 per cent from N242.29 billion recorded in February, reflecting increased energy deliveries and customer charges. However, collection efficiency declined to 79.59 per cent from 81.17 per cent in the previous month, indicating that a significant portion of billed revenue remained uncollected.
The regulator disclosed that DisCos received 293.76 million kilowatt-hours of electricity during the review period, representing a 6.02 per cent increase compared to February. The development suggests a modest improvement in power availability across the distribution network.
Despite the increase in energy supplied, revenue recovery remains uneven across the industry. NERC reported that the average approved tariff for March stood at N124.30 per kilowatt-hour, while actual collections averaged ₦100.75 per kilowatt-hour, resulting in an overall revenue recovery efficiency of 81.05 per cent.
Among the eleven DisCos, Ikeja Electric emerged as the strongest performer, posting a revenue recovery efficiency of 99.30 per cent. Eko Electricity Distribution Company followed with 95.73 per cent, while Benin DisCo recorded 85.18 per cent.
At the lower end of the performance table, Kaduna Electric recorded the weakest recovery rate at 35.65 per cent. Jos DisCo and Yola DisCo also struggled, achieving recovery efficiencies of 53.53 per cent and 58.58 per cent, respectively.
Ikeja Electric also led in collection efficiency with 96.38 per cent, ahead of Benin DisCo at 90.97 per cent and Eko DisCo at 87.68 per cent. Kaduna, Jos and Yola remained the poorest performers in this category, underlining the persistent commercial and operational challenges facing power distributors in parts of northern Nigeria.
In terms of billing efficiency, Eko DisCo ranked first with 92.30 per cent, followed by Port Harcourt DisCo at 90.36 per cent and Ikeja Electric at 87.76 per cent. Yola DisCo recorded the lowest billing efficiency at 58.68 per cent.
The latest figures underscore the mixed realities within Nigeria’s power sector. While electricity supply and customer billing continue to improve, revenue collection remains a major obstacle to the financial sustainability of the industry.
Analysts note that stronger metering penetration, improved customer confidence, reduction in energy theft and more efficient collection systems will be critical if DisCos are to close the widening gap between electricity supplied, billed revenue and actual collections.
The March performance report comes as regulators and industry stakeholders intensify efforts to strengthen the commercial viability of the electricity market, attract fresh investment and improve service delivery across the country.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Interswitch has entered into a partnership with Geneva-headquartered banking software provider Temenos to offer managed banking services to financial institutions across the continent, deepening its push into banking technology.
The partnership will see Interswitch adopt Temenos’ banking technology across core banking, digital banking, payments, wealth management, and financial crime management.
This will enable the firm to provide cloud-hosted and on-premises managed services to lenders on the continent. The service will initially target Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and other African markets.
“This is a pivotal moment for Interswitch as we accelerate our expansion beyond payments and reimagine digital banking for Africa,” Mr Jonah Adams, managing director for Digital Infrastructure and Managed Services at Interswitch, said in a statement.
By combining Temenos’ software with its existing footprint across the continent, Interswitch is positioning itself as a technology partner that can help banks upgrade critical systems without having to manage the complexity of large-scale technology deployments.
“By adopting Temenos’ cloud-native, composable platform, Interswitch gains the flexibility and scalability to accelerate its next phase of growth and deliver banking services that meet the needs of African markets,” Mr Adams added.
For Temenos, the deal strengthens its presence in Africa through a partner with deep relationships across the banking sector. It lost one of its banking customers, Sterling Bank, in 2024 after the tier-2 Nigerian bank switched to SEABaaS, a new custom-built core banking application.
“Interswitch is an important new customer and partner for Temenos in Africa,” said Mr William Moroney, Chief Revenue Officer at Temenos. “Interswitch’s strong presence across the continent also extends our reach and further strengthens our ecosystem and partner network.”
Founded in 2002, Interswitch built its reputation as one of Africa’s largest payments companies through products such as Quickteller and Verve, its domestic card scheme.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group and Singapore-based Wilmar International have agreed to combine their Nigeria and Republic of Benin operations into a 50:50 joint venture aimed at building a dominant integrated food and agribusiness platform across West Africa, targeting a market estimated at $12 billion.
The proposed merger will consolidate operations across several value chains, including agriculture, oil palm plantations, edible oils, edible nuts, rice, food manufacturing, and distribution, creating one of the region’s largest end-to-end food production and supply chains.
Under the arrangement, both firms will integrate their complementary strengths, with Wilmar contributing global expertise in palm oil, speciality fats, and large-scale agribusiness operations, while TGI brings established local manufacturing capacity, consumer brands, and an extensive distribution network across Nigeria and neighbouring markets.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wilmar International, Mr Kuok Hong, said the partnership would enhance both firms’ ability to serve Africa’s expanding consumer base, describing Nigeria and Benin as strategic growth markets.
“For more than four decades, TGI Group has built a leading position in Nigerian food manufacturing and distribution. This partnership will leverage Wilmar’s global scale and expertise as well as TGI’s local knowledge to deliver innovative food solutions across Africa,” added TGI Group founder and chairman, Mr Cornelis Vink.
On his part, Vice Chairman of TGI Group, Mr Farouk Gumel, said the deal reflects confidence in Nigeria’s long-term economic prospects, adding that it would deepen domestic value addition, strengthen food security, support smallholder farmers, and create jobs.
Adding his input, Wilmar’s Africa Head, Mr Santosh Pillai, described the transaction as a strategic fit, noting that the combined entity would have the scale, local insight, and operational depth needed to better serve consumers in the region.
The companies said the transaction is expected to be completed in the 2026 financial year, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.
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