The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has revealed that it has invested more than N500 billion in power transmission infrastructure across Nigeria. This was disclosed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mrs. Jennifer Adighije, during an inspection tour of the Lafia Transmission Substation located in Nasarawa State.
The visit, which took place earlier in the week, was part of the company’s efforts to monitor and evaluate its key power infrastructure projects. According to a statement released on Thursday by the General Manager of Corporate Communication and External Relations, Mrs. Olufunke Nwankwo, the Lafia substation is a major component in the national power supply chain and was commissioned in 2022.
Mrs. Adighije was accompanied by other top officials of the company, including the Executive Director of Generation, Mr. Kassim Abdullahi; Executive Director of Legal Services, Dr. Steven Andzenge; and Executive Director of Networks, Mr. Bello Babayo Bello.
After inspecting the facility, Adighije described the Lafia transmission substation as a world-class power facility, noting that it had greatly improved electricity supply to Nasarawa and other nearby states. She also highlighted that the N500 billion investment was used to support several key projects across Nigeria. These include the construction of new transmission lines, substations, transformer installations, and line-bay extensions aimed at improving power evacuation and supply.
“We are here at the Lafia Transmission Substation, a project delivered by NDPHC and later handed over to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). It is a 330/132/33kV facility with two 150MVA transformers, two 60MVA transformers, and a 75MVA reactor. It is built to world-class standards,” she said.
Adighije stressed that NDPHC was set up to strengthen the country’s power sector by implementing impactful infrastructure projects across the gas-to-power chain. She explained that even though the sector is still facing funding challenges, the company remains focused on supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by increasing generation capacity, improving transmission networks, and expanding access to electricity.
The NDPHC boss also addressed concerns about the company’s power generation capacity, saying the issue was not generation but limited transmission capacity. According to her, many of the company’s power plants are producing more electricity than the current network can carry, which has led to stranded power that cannot be delivered to homes and businesses.
“There is this notion that we are not generating enough power. That is not correct. We are actually generating more than the system can transmit. The real issue is with the transmission and distribution infrastructure,” she said.
During a courtesy visit to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, Adighije commended the state government for supporting the substation project and said the new Electricity Act has opened more opportunities for electricity expansion at the state level. She stated that with the reforms, NDPHC is now in a better position to operate in a more market-driven manner and deliver electricity directly to Nigerians.
Governor Sule, in his response, praised the efforts of the NDPHC under Adighije’s leadership. He acknowledged that the Lafia substation has helped improve power transmission in the state but lamented that poor distribution infrastructure remains a big problem.
“We are probably transmitting more than we can distribute. There’s no point generating power if it can’t be used. The DisCos must also play their part. Just as you visited me, you need to engage with the DisCos. Power that is not taken up is money lost,” he said.
The NDPHC says it will continue to partner with relevant stakeholders to improve electricity delivery across Nigeria and reduce power supply gaps in both rural and urban areas.
