Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated the Federal Government’s dedication to modernizing Nigeria’s power sector during the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in Abuja.
Addressing guests at the State House Banquet Hall, the Vice President lauded the NDPHC as a cornerstone of the nation’s energy infrastructure and praised its two decades of service toward national development.
He emphasized that the Electricity Act of 2023 serves as a transformative milestone, granting the NDPHC the legal clarity and commercial leverage necessary to thrive within a newly liberalized energy market.
The Vice President, who also serves as Chairman of the NDPHC Board, said the milestone offers an opportunity for the company to evolve from an integration driven entity into a commercially disciplined and market focused enterprise, while remaining committed to its national mandate.
According to him, the board is focused on extracting greater value from existing assets, strengthening contracts and market participation, ensuring governance led commercialisation, managing risks responsibly and investing in human capital.
“As Chairman, I wish to state unequivocally that the board remains fully committed to its responsibilities. We will continue to provide strategic direction, uphold the highest standards of governance, support management in taking sound and accountable decisions, protect shareholder value on behalf of the Nigerian people, and keep NDPHC aligned with national energy and development goals,” Shettima said.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for restoring investor confidence in the power sector, noting that the President’s reforms have created an enabling environment for institutions such as NDPHC to thrive.
Earlier, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, described NDPHC as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s electricity supply chain, highlighting its role in expanding and safeguarding the country’s generation capacity through the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).
Adelabu said NDPHC has developed generation plants and supporting infrastructure nationwide, creating one of the largest portfolios of government backed power assets in Africa.
He disclosed that the company has recently restored 345 megawatts of generation capacity to the national grid, including 120MW from Omotosho NIPP, 112.5MW from Benin NIPP and 112.5MW from Ihovbor NIPP. He also highlighted the Light Up Nigeria project, aimed at supporting industrial clusters with reliable electricity supply.
According to the minister, the achievements reflect gains from broader sector reforms under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at improving reliability, expanding access and attracting investment.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, commended the Managing Director of NDPHC, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, for what he described as outstanding performance within a short period in office.
Ekpo said sustainable power supply remains fundamental to national development and industrialisation, adding that the progress recorded in the sector indicates that Nigeria is on the right path. He also praised the leadership provided at the board level by the Vice President.
In her remarks, the Managing Director, Engr. Adighije, reaffirmed NDPHC’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s energy infrastructure and supporting national development beyond power generation.
She said the company has executed major projects across the transmission and distribution segments, adding over 9,000 MVA of installed transformer capacity, constructing transmission substations, line-bay extensions and hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines nationwide.
Adighije highlighted that the NDPHC is pivoting toward a customer-centric model, utilizing the Electricity Act 2023 to expand its partnerships.
These collaborations target bilateral partners, eligible customers, and regional stakeholders within the West African Power Pool.
Furthermore, she revealed that with the endorsement of President Tinubu and the Minister of Power, the NDPHC has entered the bond market.
This move is part of a strategic power sector refinancing plan designed to raise the capital necessary to clear government debts to power generation companies—an initiative she characterized as a “game changer” for the industry.
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