Firm Links Structured Finance Success To Transparency, Strong Governance

Seplat Energy Plc has underscored the critical role of transparency, strong corporate governance and stakeholder collaboration in unlocking structured financing opportunities and accelerating sustainable growth across Nigeria’s energy sector.

The company made the call at the Olaniwun Ajayi Structured Finance Roundtable held in Lagos, where its chief financial officer and executive director, Eleanor Adaralegbe, spoke during a panel session themed: ‘From Theory to Transactions: Overcoming Barriers and Scaling Structured Finance in the Nigerian Market.’

According to Adaralegbe, trust remains the foundation of every successful financing arrangement, and the reputation of a company’s leadership and governance framework plays a decisive role in attracting capital.

“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. 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.

She noted that Seplat’s commitment to transparency and partnership has enabled the company to cultivate enduring relationships with financial institutions, regulators and investors.

“At Seplat, we work with financiers as partners. We do nottry to package a deal so that they can approve it. We work with them to ensure there os a general understanding of what we’re trying to achieve, and we carry them along in our process,” she explained.

Adaralegbe added that Seplat’s dual listing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange imposed stringent compliance obligations that strengthened the company’s institutional framework.

“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 stated.

She also commended the Securities and Exchange Commission for fostering an enabling environment for innovation and capital formation, noting that the company’s robust governance and ESG architecture has helped it access significant pools of capital to fund its growth ambitions while maintaining prudent leverage.

The director-general of SEC, Dr. Emomotimi Agama emphasized the need for collaboration among market participants to deepen Nigeria’s capital markets and expand structured finance solutions as a catalyst for economic growth.