By Abubakar Ojima-ojo
Seplat Energy Plc has identified transparency, strong corporate governance and investor confidence as critical factors for attracting structured financing and driving sustainable growth in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company said effective leadership and close collaboration with financiers were essential to securing capital and building lasting business relationships.
Seplat’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Eleanor Adaralegbe, stated this at the Olaniwun Ajayi Structured Finance Roundtable in Lagos.
She spoke during a panel session titled, ‘From Theory to Transactions: Overcoming Barriers and Scaling Structured Finance in the Nigerian Market’.
Adaralegbe said investors’ confidence in a company’s management team and governance structure could determine its ability to attract funding.
“I think one of the most fundamental things for the success of structured financing is the management team. The role of a management team is unbelievable,” she said.
She added that confidence in Seplat’s leadership had helped the company attract investment and strengthen relationships with financial institutions.
“I have found in my journey with the company that this has been one area where a lot of people have invested in us because they believe in the management team,” she said.
The finance director said Seplat prioritised openness and partnership in its dealings with lenders, rather than simply presenting proposals for approval.
“At Seplat, we work with financiers as partners. We do not try to package a deal so that they can approve it.
“We work with them to ensure there is a general understanding of what we’re trying to achieve, and we carry them along in our process,” she said.
Adaralegbe also attributed the company’s institutional discipline partly to its dual listing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange.
According to her, meeting regulatory and listing requirements in both markets helped strengthen the company’s operational standards and corporate governance.
“The regulators and listing authorities helped shape us as a company because we had to meet listing requirements in both Nigeria and London.
“There was a discipline that we had to build into how we operated as a business, and that really helped us,” she said.
She further commended the Securities and Exchange Commission for promoting an environment that supports innovation and capital formation.
Adaralegbe said Seplat’s governance and environmental, social and governance framework had helped it access substantial pools of capital to support its growth ambitions while maintaining prudent borrowing levels.
The roundtable focused on the challenges limiting structured finance transactions in Nigeria and the measures required to expand access to long-term funding.
Structured finance involves financing arrangements tailored to specific business needs, often using specialised financial instruments and risk-management mechanisms to support transactions that may not fit conventional lending models.
Participants at the event highlighted the importance of trust, regulatory support and cooperation among market operators in deepening Nigeria’s capital market.
The Director-General of the SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama, also called for greater collaboration among market participants to strengthen the capital market and expand structured finance solutions.
He said such efforts could help unlock financing opportunities and support broader economic growth.
The emphasis on transparency and governance comes as businesses seek sustainable funding sources to expand operations, manage financial risks and support investment in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
