Ekperikpe Ekpo, Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum resources (Gas), praised the head of Niger Delta Power Holding Company for what he termed significant operational improvements since her recent appointment, signalling government satisfaction with efforts to revitalise the nation’s struggling electricity sector.
Ekpo commended Jennifer Adighije, Niger Delta Power Holding Company’s managing director, during the utility’s 20th anniversary celebration, highlighting reforms he said were advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic development priorities.
“I was thrilled by Jennifer Adighije’s achievements within the short time she has taken up the leadership of NDPHC,” Ekpo said at the event, according to a statement from the company. He characterised her performance as “inspiring and reassuring for Nigeria’s power sector.”
The minister emphasised electricity’s role in Nigeria’s industrial ambitions, noting that power generation remains a critical bottleneck for Africa’s largest economy. Nigeria’s manufacturing sector has long struggled with unreliable grid supply, forcing businesses to rely on costly diesel generators that erode competitiveness.
“Without power, there will be no industrialisation, and our homes will not be energised,” Ekpo said, adding that improvements outlined by Adighije gave him confidence the country was “heading in the right direction.”
NDPHC, established in 2004, operates power generation assets transferred from the defunct National Integrated Power Project. The company has faced persistent challenges with capacity utilisation and revenue collection, common across Nigeria’s power sector.
Adighije, in a separate New Year message, called for stakeholder cooperation to achieve “sustainable power for all,” emphasising collaboration between government, private sector entities, host communities and consumers. She expressed confidence that support for the administration’s agenda would yield “more efficient and dependable electricity supply.”
The executive urged Nigerians to “remain hopeful and united” behind efforts to revitalise power infrastructure, describing NDPHC’s generation efficiency as essential to strengthening the nation’s electricity value chain.
Ekpo also acknowledged Vice President Kashim Shettima’s leadership as chairman of NDPHC’s board, crediting the management team’s collective efforts.
Nigeria generates roughly 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts for a population exceeding 200 million people, compared with South Africa’s 40,000 megawatts for 60 million citizens. Power sector reforms have progressed slowly despite decades of promised improvements and partial privatisation.
