By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

As part of Federal Government’s effort to boost manufacturing activities in the country, the Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Engr. Jennifer Adighije has unveiled a plan to deliver 20 megawatts of power to the Challawa Industrial Area in Kano.

The plan follows a visit to the industrial area in December 2024 by Vice President Kassimu Shettima where the industrialists complained that poor power supply was hindering their business.

Engr. Adighije speaking during a visit to the park said the company would partner with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Haier Technologies to provide the manufacturers with a reliable power supply through solar technologies.

The company in a statement by its General Manager, Corporate Communications and External Relations, NDPHC, Emmanuel Ojor in Abuja on Friday said Adighije was accompanied on the site survey and assessment of the Challawa Industrial District by the Executive Director of Generation, Engr. Kassim Abdulahi, and the Executive Director of Corporate Services, Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.

Speaking during a meeting with the manufacturers association in Challawa, Engr. Adighije described the visit as both significant and emotional, noting the critical role the industrial area plays in national revenue generation and socio-economic development.

“It is a pleasure to be at the Challawa Industrial Area. This is a very important and emotional visit,” she said. “I recall that on December 7th last year, the Chairman of our Board and Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, visited Challawa. Before he even returned to Abuja, he called and gave us a directive to show our presence here by providing an alternative source of electricity to the area.”

Addressing the delay between the Vice President’s directive and the current visit, she explained: “You may wonder why it took us from December until now. It took us a few months to come because I engaged development partners to come up with a cost effective solution that will offer affordable tariffs for the Challawa community.”

Engr. Adighije noted that NDPHC engaged NASENI and Haier Technologies to develop a project framework that leverages Kano’s abundant solar potential to deliver reliable, renewable, and affordable electricity to businesses in Challawa.

“I was emotional seeing businesses with the capacity to generate revenue and drive economic growth suffer losses simply due to a lack of affordable electricity. We must turn our solar potential into actionable solutions that unlock opportunities, boost productivity, and serve the greater good of all Nigerians.”

Highlighting the broader national context, she added: “The output of the manufacturing sector should directly translate into job creation, wealth generation, and poverty reduction. Kano is symbolic and strategic to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”

She assured business owners that NDPHC and its partners are fully committed to deploying embedded solutions that will significantly benefit manufacturers in the area.

“As a generation company, NDPHC primarily supplies power from its gas-fired plants to the national grid. However, with the power market now transitioning to a bilateral trading structure, Engr. Adighije explained that the company is able to sell directly to off-takers, distribution companies, or registered buyer groups”.

“As an association, you can come together to register a trading company and purchase electricity directly from NDPHC,” she advised. “You can be assured that our electricity pricing will be highly competitive—better than what is currently available from distribution companies.”