Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije, highlights her efforts to reposition the power company in her first year in office in this interview with DARE OLAWIN. Excerpts:
How will you describe the journey in NDPHC since your appointment one year ago?
As I mark my first anniversary as the MD/CEO of NDPHC, I do so with a profound sense of gratitude, responsibility, and renewed commitment. From the successful revival and optimisation of previously idle power plants to pioneering bilateral power sale initiatives that are already reshaping our revenue base, our journey has been one of action guided by vision and purpose. We have worked tirelessly to restore trust, both within and outside the company, strengthening our regulatory compliance posture and deepening partnerships with key stakeholders, including NERC, TCN, and NISO. However, the road has not been without its obstacles. We have had to navigate a complex operating environment characterised by persistent liquidity challenges, legacy constraints, inadequate market structures, and systemic inefficiencies in the rapidly evolving national electricity value chain. These challenges, though daunting, have only served to sharpen our resolve and inspired a new level of innovation, resilience, and collaboration across NDPHC.
Can you briefly highlight your achievements so far?
When we came into office, we undertook a comprehensive audit and technical assessment of NDPHC’s generation assets. It became immediately clear that several of our power plants, critical national infrastructure, had been either in bad shape or grossly underused. The reasons ranged from poor operations and maintenance practices, procurement delays, and persistent gas supply issues to transmission constraints that were left unaddressed for far too long. Notably, prior to August 2024, power plants such as Ihovbor, Alaoji, and Omotosho NIPP were recording Plant Availability Factors below five per cent. This was a significant waste of national resources and missed opportunities in improving power supply and revenue generation. In response, we initiated a strategic intervention targeting recovery of idle turbine units. This included engaging the original equipment manufacturers and parts suppliers and building an in-house response team in partnership with service providers to provide a quick response to facilitate recovery and avert downtime while also harnessing commercial relationships with gas suppliers to secure a stable gas supply to the power plants. The result is that we have successfully recovered five generating turbine units across the fleet, restoring 625 megawatts to active contribution to the national grid. This has contributed to an increase in the available megawatts for national consumption and improved asset utilisation. Alaoji Power Plant, which had hitherto remained dormant for an extended period, is now set to come on stream in a matter of weeks, an outcome that is largely attributable to the proactive and strategic efforts of the current leadership.
Most importantly, our reform drive has restored investor, stakeholder, and regulatory confidence in NDPHC’s capacity. This achievement affirms our strategic direction and reinforces our commitment to making NDPHC a central pillar in Nigeria’s energy transition. It is one of the early wins in our long-term journey of institutional revitalisation and sectoral transformation.
One of the clear realities was the unsustainable nature of relying solely on the centralised electricity market, which continues to be plagued by chronic revenue shortfalls, market defaults, sector-wide uncertainties and persistent liquidity crises. To reverse that trend, we initiated a gradual but deliberate shift towards bilateral power sales as a more commercially viable pathway. Over the past year, we have made meaningful progress in identifying and engaging large, creditworthy electricity consumers who qualify as eligible customers under the NERC framework. We are working to establish bilateral agreements that allow NDPHC to sell power directly to these customers at cost-reflective tariffs. This approach is aimed at enhancing our revenue base, improving liquidity, and insulating the company from the inefficiencies of the centralised market.
Let me also add that over the past year, we have taken deliberate steps to align NDPHC with global energy trends through strategic partnerships and technology-focused initiatives. A major highlight has been the execution of Joint Development Agreements with key partners such as Oracle, Microsoft Nigeria, and Haier Technologies. These collaborations are anchored on our transformative pillars. Working with Microsoft and ORACLE to deploy cutting-edge digital tools that will improve enterprise resource planning, asset monitoring, enable predictive maintenance, enhance operational efficiency, and support smarter, data-driven decision-making across our plants. We are also investing in local manufacturing capacity through our partnership with NASENI and Haier Technologies to reduce the cost of production for businesses in Kano State by providing cost-effective electricity through renewable energy means. The transformation journey is still ongoing.
The next five years will be about unlocking the full potential of our assets, our people, and our mandate.
What were the biggest challenges you met in office?
I encountered an acute liquidity crisis facing NDPHC and other GenCos, and this was primarily caused by the overwhelming debt owed by key market players and some of our cross-border customers. When I took over, the company was burdened with substantial unpaid invoices, resulting in severe cash flow limitations that threatened our capacity to sustain operations. In addition to the debt burden, there were longstanding operational inefficiencies, dormant generation assets, and weakened stakeholder confidence in NDPHC’s capacity, credibility and industry relevance. To address these challenges, we took a multi-pronged approach. On the commercial side, we began the process of restructuring our power sales strategy, moving toward bilateral contracts with eligible customers. We have successfully tackled key constraints, most notably gas supply and evacuation limitations, by collaborating strategically to unbottle the bottlenecks. We strengthened compliance with regulatory requirements, improved coordination with TCN and NISO, and proactively engaged NERC to align our operations with market expectations. I believe we are on the right path to delivering a more resilient and forward-looking NDPHC.
What new ideas have you injected into corporate governance to boost efficiency?
We have introduced a number of reforms aimed at improving both structural governance and day-to-day operational discipline. We institutionalised a performance monitoring framework that sets clear KPIs for directorates, which cascades down across departments. This has helped us track delivery timelines, measure output, and ensure greater accountability for results. In addition, we began quarterly performance reviews to assess progress and address gaps proactively. We also undertook a review of our procurement and financial processes, streamlining approval workflows and ensuring stricter compliance with internal control procedures. This has helped to reduce delays, cut inefficiencies, and enhance the integrity of our procurement system. On the governance side, we strengthened the role of internal audit and compliance by ensuring more independence in their reporting lines and giving them the support needed to function effectively. We also emphasised documentation, records management, and adherence to board-approved policies, especially around project execution and vendor engagement.
As part of my commitment to transparency and accountability, we have commenced procurement of an Enterprise Resource Planning tool for enabling organisation-wide planning for enhancing operational efficiency. We have also forged a strategic partnership with the EFCC to tackle procurement-related irregularities in NDPHC. This collaboration aims to identify and eliminate fraudulent practices, reinforce due process, and instil a strong culture of accountability. It sends a clear message that we are serious about reform, while also strengthening internal controls and supporting national anti-corruption efforts in the power sector.
What efforts are you making to strengthen the national grid?
Like I said earlier, our drive to recover dormant turbine units targets an increase in available power generation/grid capacity. As a result, NDPHC has been able to contribute an additional 625 MW to the national grid. This incremental capacity comes largely from Calabar, Omotosho, and Sapele with 125 MW each, while Ihovbor added 250 MW. We see this not just as a technical achievement but as a testament to the possibilities that exist when leadership is intentional, strategic, and focused on results. And we are not relenting in our goal to sustain and scale this impact in the months and years ahead.
What are you doing to address NIPP power plants’ battle with gas supply and transmission bottlenecks?
For transmission bottlenecks, we strengthened our technical collaboration with TCN and NISO. Currently, we are in the process of setting up a joint task framework to ensure that plant availability and dispatch are better coordinated, particularly during periods of grid stress. Additionally, we’ve initiated conversations around embedded and bilateral power solutions to ensure that where evacuation through the national grid is constrained, we can explore alternatives that allow us to serve eligible customers directly. Indeed, gas supply is a challenge. When I assumed office, we engaged directly with key gas suppliers and relevant government agencies to renegotiate and facilitate more reliable supply arrangements. This includes clearing some legacy payment issues, restructuring gas supply agreements to reflect current realities, and establishing stronger coordination mechanisms for monitoring supply consistency. A notable result of this is the improved gas availability to plants like Alaoji and Geregu, which are now gradually coming back to life.
What is the current status of NDPHC projects?
The uncompleted NIPP plants and transmission projects have been a major focus of my administration over the past year, and I am pleased to report that we are beginning to see measurable progress on several fronts. One of the most significant milestones is the near completion of Egbema Power Plant, which has now hit an 80 per cent completion level from 52 per cent last year. The contractors on the project, Messrs China Machinery Ltd, have also presented a progress plan which we are steadily working towards. The Gbarain plant has been offline since the year 2020 after a fire incident consumed the power control module. We have succeeded in awarding the contract for the PCM restoration to Tilt/Schneider Electric J.V., which is expected to be completed in 12 months. Other pre-commissioning exercises will also commence to enable complete restoration of the plant to the grid by 2026. For the transmission projects, cash flow remains the major challenge. These projects are dollar denominated, and to date NDPHC has been unable to reach meaningful agreements on the recoupment of investments valued at about N1tn. While challenges remain, we have sought the intervention of the regulator to consider mediating to resolve the long-standing issue.
How many communities have benefited from your rural electrification drive under your watch?
In the past year alone, thousands of households have directly benefited from various distribution electrification projects executed by NDPHC. These include grid extensions, substations, feeders, spans of lines and standalone solar home systems. Our interventions span across multiple geopolitical zones, and some of the notable distribution projects commissioned in one year include 1×7.5MVA 33KV/11KV injection substation at the College of Education, Maiduguri, and another 1×7.5MVA injection substation in Maiduguri town, among several other projects set out to uplift communities.
Has NDPHC secured any new funding, partnerships, or investment support in the past year?
Over the past year, we’ve made considerable progress in this regard. We have engaged both local and international development finance institutions to explore innovative financing models for our generation and distribution projects. One of the major steps we took was initiating project-specific investment frameworks, especially for diversifying our power generation mix, which aligns more closely with the expectations of the president’s energy transition plan. In this regard, we also signed landmark Joint Development Agreements with NASENI, a collaboration set to unlock access to technical support, funding, knowledge capital, and co-investment opportunities that significantly reduce our financial burden in delivering renewable energy projects. We are also exploring public-private partnership structures for some of our uncompleted assets, as well as bilateral power sales agreements that can enhance our liquidity position.
How is the company managing debts and liquidity issues?
At one time, the company was heavily burdened by legacy debts, particularly from the non-settlement of invoices and market shortfalls, which significantly impacted our operational sustainability. It is a thing of joy that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, has shown strong political will and commitment by pledging to offset the over N4tn debt owed to generation companies, of which NDPHC is a significant creditor. To address this, we’ve adopted a multi-pronged approach. First, we intensified our engagement with NERC, the market operator, and other relevant institutions to push for improved market discipline and enforcement of payment obligations. At the same time, we have prioritised bilateral power sales as a strategic alternative, targeting creditworthy eligible customers who can pay cost-reflective tariffs directly to us. This helps improve our liquidity.
Internally, we instituted tighter financial controls, enhanced revenue tracking, and pursued aggressive cost-optimisation measures across our assets. We’ve also engaged gas suppliers and other creditors to restructure some of our obligations in a way that aligns with our current cash flow realities.
Is NDPHC considering renewable energy integration?
As the global energy landscape continues to shift toward cleaner and more sustainable sources, NDPHC under my leadership has begun taking deliberate and strategic steps to align with this transition. One of my key priorities has been to ensure that NDPHC is not left behind in the clean energy conversation. While our core mandate remains focused on thermal generation, we recognise that the future of power lies in diversification, and that includes a strong emphasis on renewable energy. We have initiated feasibility studies and early-stage project development for solar mini-grids, particularly targeted at underserved and off-grid rural communities. These projects are designed to not only expand access to electricity but also do so in a manner that is climate-friendly and economically viable. We’re also exploring potential collaborations with development finance institutions, private investors, and technical partners to scale up renewable energy deployment across Nigeria.
In addition, through our strategic Joint Development Agreements with NASENI, Microsoft Nigeria, and Schneider Electric, we are integrating smart energy technologies and innovative solutions such as energy storage systems, hybrid systems, and digital monitoring tools that support the broader renewable ecosystem.
What is your agenda for next year?
I am looking towards commercial sustainability, ensuring the financial viability of NDPHC. We will intensify our commercial drive by aggressively pursuing bilateral power sales to eligible customers. Project completion, asset optimisation and renewable energy are also key. Our focus remains firmly on completing critical NIPP generation and transmission projects, notably the Egbema plant and the full integration of the Alaoji plant, while simultaneously driving the technical and commercial optimisation of our existing assets. We also want to focus on human capital development. We are also putting systems in place to reward merit, foster accountability, and encourage innovation. Special attention is being paid to succession planning and gender inclusion, ensuring that the next generation of NDPHC leaders is prepared, diverse, and aligned with our long-term goals. Ultimately, our goal is to build a resilient, agile, and future-ready workforce capable of driving NDPHC’s transformation and delivering sustainable energy solutions to Nigerians.
Where do you see NDPHC in the next five years under your leadership?
I envision NDPHC evolving into a commercially sustainable, technologically advanced, and socially impactful power generation company; one that not only contributes significantly to Nigeria’s energy mix but also drives sector-wide performance through innovation. I see us becoming a key driver of industrialisation through our strategic partnerships and targeted projects in commercial clusters like Agbara, Mowe, Challawa and others, which will reduce reliance on imports and create jobs. Equally important, I want NDPHC to become a model for transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder trust, serving as a federation company that delivers value to both the government and the Nigerian people. The next five years will be about unlocking the full potential of our assets, our people, and our mandate.
What else would you want Nigerians to know about NDPHC, especially under your leadership?
I want to assure Nigerians that the NDPHC remains fully committed to being a central part of the solution to Nigeria’s power challenges. We understand the frustration that comes with unreliable electricity, and we do not take our responsibility lightly. We are working tirelessly to optimise existing assets, bring idle power plants back to life, and drive innovative energy solutions that will expand access to affordable, reliable power to be delivered to the last mile. We’re also pursuing reforms that ensure financial stability and accountability across the value chain. NDPHC may not solve all the sector’s problems alone, but we are determined to lead with integrity, technical excellence, and a deep sense of national duty.
