By Chioma Amajor
While the NDPHC has continued to play a central role in Nigeria’s journey toward improved power generation and supply, as a critical arm of the NIPP, it has long been at the forefront in the building and commissioning of power plants, strengthening transmission infrastructure, and stabilizing electricity in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria.
Recently, a new chapter opened for the company with the appointment of Engr. Jennifer Adighije to the position of Managing Director. Indeed, this was a period when NDPHC required astute leadership as it set out to consolidate previous gains and address emerging challenges in Nigeria’s power sector. This article looks at the legacies of past leadership within NDPHC, efforts towards ensuring stability of power in the Niger Delta, and what is being expected of Nigeria’s megawatt generation under the tutelage of Engr. Adighiie.
Legacy of Past Leadership: Laying Foundations for Growth
Until the appointment of Engr. Adighije, NDPHC was led by Chiedu Ugbo, who left behind a strong legacy of achievements when he left the corporation. During his time at the helm of affairs, NDPHC commissioned into operation a chain of gas-fired power plants within Nigeria to complement the country’s generation capacity. Among them are the Olorunsogo, Calabar, and Geregu II power plants, each adding in excess of 4,000 MW of electricity to the grid of this country.
Ugbo’s leadership also focused on addressing bottlenecks in the power infrastructure of Nigeria. He oversaw major investments in transmission and distribution, upgrading old substations and building new ones to cut energy losses and improve the reliability of electricity supply. There was also a drive toward optimizing the NDPHC power generation assets and addressing gas supply issues that had limited the output of its gas-powered plants during his tenure.
These efforts he put in ensured NDPHC’s projects remained vital to the national grid despite the challenges that were bedeviling the power sector. This solid foundation has now become the platform on which Engr. Jennifer Adighijebases her vision for NDPHC into the future.
Engr. Jennifer Adighije: A New Vision for NDPHC
Coming to this new assignment with a basket full of experience and a general understanding of the need to take NDPHC to the next level is the new Managing Director, Engr. Jennifer Adighije. She is an engineer with profound insight into the power sector in Nigeria. Engr. Adighije is expected to consolidate on the gains of her predecessor while introducing new ideas to short-circuit the ever-growing demands for energy by Nigeria’s teeming population.
She has made finishing the ongoing projects, enhancing the operational efficiency of the NDPHC power plants, and trying to work up the gas supply constraints that have throttled output from these plants her immediate priorities. Engr. Adighije also looks forward to increasing NDPHC’s stake in renewable energy going forward, as part of the global trends for cleaner and greener sources of energy. This is part of a wider general drive by Nigeria to diversify its energy mix and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Stabilizing Power in the Niger Delta
The Niger Delta has always been a paradox in the energetic environment of Nigeria-on one hand, being very rich in oil and gas resources, and on the other hand, suffering from persistent power shortages that hamper economic growth and development. NDPHC has been instrumental in the elimination of this disparity, most especially with the development of gas-fired power plants that exploit the natural gas resources of the region for the generation of electricity.
Projects such as the Gbarain Ubie Power Plant in Bayelsa State and the Alaoji Power Plant in Abia State have been very instrumental in ensuring some semblance of stability in electricity supply in the Niger Delta. This, along with other facilities, has helped provide comparatively better electricity supply to different communities and industries in the area, thereby reducing dependence on very costly and eco-destructive diesel generators.
Under the leadership of Engr. Adighije, NDPHC would continue to work towards the stabilization of power in the Niger Delta region by network expansion of the transmission and distribution systems, upgrading at sub-station levels, and addressing infrastructure deficiencies.
Her engineering background/ knowledge and focus on efficiency provide a good fit for her to address the power challenges head-on in the region.
Nigeria’s Megawatt Generation Goals
The demand for electricity in Nigeria far outstrips the capacity for generation. While the actual consumption need of the country calls for more than 30,000 MW to satisfy its teeming population and industries, generated capacity has always been well below this target. NDPHC has been right in the thick of things in all the recent efforts toward bridging the gap between demand and generation and has contributed massively toward increasing Nigeria’s power generation over the last ten years.
Engr. Adighiie assumes the position at a time when interest by the government of Nigeria has been revamped toward achieving higher milestones of megawatt generation, with its eyes on economic growth and industrialization. NDPHC plays a very key role in this, particularly through its over 4,000 MW contribution from its gas-fired plants under the NIPP.
This, however, is far from realizing full potential due to gas supply challenges and operational inefficiencies. He will therefore make the solving of some of these problems his top priority by engaging relevant stakeholders with whom the said NDPHC must work: the NNPC and other industry players.
Besides adding to gas-powered generation, Engr. Adighiie also hopes to expand NDPHC involvement with renewable energy. It will be exploring possible development of solar power projects across different parts of the country with a view toward not only increasing generation capacity in Nigeria but also contributing to the nation’s climate change commitments.
Conclusion
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company has been one of the critical drivers within Nigeria’s powerhouse, contributing to the nation’s generation capacity, while working for regional power stability in the Niger Delta. In a transition from Chiedu Ugbo to Engr. Jennifer Adighiie, there comes a new regime to NDPHC as the company sustains the wheel of progress in the power sector.
As challenging as it may still be, especially on gas supply and infrastructure limitations, the progress witnessed so far by NDPHC under past leadership and its future potentials under the vision of Engr. Adighiie offer a ray of hope toward stable and sustainable power supply in Nigeria. Therefore, with this energy sector background, NDPHC remains a key player in making sure that electricity becomes a cornerstone for economic development and growth as the country works toward its megawatt generation expectations.
