The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Jennifer Adighije, has disclosed that the company is strategically diversifying into renewable energy development and direct electricity supply to industrial clusters as part of a broader plan to enhance power reliability and support economic growth across Nigeria.

Speaking during a television programme monitored in Lagos, Adighije explained that the company’s evolving strategy is anchored on long-term sustainability, improved operational efficiency, and the need to close critical electricity supply gaps affecting industrial productivity nationwide.

According to her, NDPHC is gradually transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, including solar and small hydro power projects, to complement its existing gas-fired generation assets developed under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP). She noted that renewable energy integration would not only diversify Nigeria’s energy mix but also strengthen resilience within the power sector.

Adighije revealed that the company is currently developing a solar power concept targeted at industrial clusters in Kano State, which is expected to serve as a pilot for similar interventions across other industrial hubs in the country. The initiative, she said, is designed to provide dedicated and reliable electricity to manufacturing zones, thereby reducing dependence on diesel generators, lowering production costs, and improving competitiveness for Nigerian industries.

She further disclosed that NDPHC is exploring opportunities for direct electricity supply arrangements with electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and eligible customers under existing regulatory frameworks. Such partnerships, she explained, would ensure that power generated by NDPHC plants is efficiently delivered to high-demand clusters where it can create the greatest economic impact.

Under its flagship “Light Up Nigeria” initiative, the company aims to deliver reliable and affordable electricity to industrial and commercial clusters, markets, universities, and residential communities through embedded and independent power solutions. The programme is also expected to stimulate job creation, attract investments, and support small and medium-scale enterprises that are heavily impacted by unreliable electricity supply.

Providing an update on NDPHC’s infrastructure portfolio, Adighije stated that the company has constructed 10 power plants across 10 states under the NIPP programme, with eight already commissioned and six currently in commercial operation. She added that NDPHC’s installed generation capacity stands at approximately 4,000 megawatts, representing nearly 30 per cent of Nigeria’s total grid-connected capacity.

She emphasised that within the past year, the company successfully recovered about 900 megawatts of previously dormant generation capacity through optimisation of plant performance, enhanced operational discipline, and the deployment of predictive maintenance strategies. These improvements, she said, demonstrate NDPHC’s commitment to maximising existing assets before embarking on new generation projects.

In addition to operational improvements, the NDPHC boss disclosed that the company recently recovered 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages of critical power equipment worth millions of dollars from Nigerian ports after prolonged delays. The recovered equipment, she said, would be deployed to complete ongoing generation, transmission, and distribution projects across the country, thereby accelerating infrastructure delivery timelines.

Despite these achievements, Adighije acknowledged that Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to face structural challenges that limit the impact of available generation capacity. One of the most significant constraints, she noted, is the mismatch between installed generation capacity and the transmission network’s ability to evacuate power efficiently to distribution companies and end-users.

She also identified gas supply shortages as a persistent challenge affecting thermal generation plants, explaining that gas procurement alone accounts for nearly 60 per cent of operational costs for power generation companies. In addition, liquidity constraints within the electricity market remain a major concern, as only about 30 per cent of sector invoices are currently settled, creating financial strain across the value chain.

To address these systemic issues, Adighije advocated the decoupling of government subsidies from electricity tariffs and the gradual implementation of fully cost-reflective tariffs across all customer segments. According to her, establishing a financially viable electricity market is essential for restoring investor confidence, attracting private sector participation, and ensuring sustainable sector growth.

She stressed that consistent implementation of government policies, particularly the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, remains critical to unlocking investments, strengthening infrastructure, and stimulating electricity demand across Nigeria’s expanding economy.

Adighije reiterated NDPHC’s commitment to supporting national development through reliable power supply, noting that improved electricity access remains fundamental to industrialisation, economic diversification, and improved living standards for Nigerians.

She expressed optimism that ongoing reforms, combined with targeted investments in renewable energy, industrial power solutions, and infrastructure optimisation, would significantly improve power reliability in the coming years.