A Strategic Pivot: How Nigeria’s NDPHC is Charting a New Course in the Nation’s Power Sector

Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025 (NAN) In a landmark address marking the 20th anniversary of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Vice-President Kashim Shettima issued a clarion call for the state-owned firm to fundamentally realign its operations with Nigeria’s national energy development goals. Speaking as Chairman of the NDPHC Board during celebrations at the Presidential Villa, Shettima framed this moment as a critical inflection point, not just for the company but for the nation’s broader economic ambitions under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Vice-President’s charge goes beyond mere rhetoric; it signals a strategic pivot for an entity historically seen as an interventionist vehicle. He implored management and staff to embrace a new ethos of operational reliability and commercial discipline, emphasizing that their role is now central to Nigeria’s development trajectory. “Power is the difference between promise and paralysis,” Shettima stated, capturing the existential stakes. “It is the quiet force that animates industry, lights homes, and anchors hope.”

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The cornerstone of this new direction is the Electricity Act 2023, which Shettima identified as a “defining turning point.” For context, this landmark legislation dismantles the former state monopoly, enabling a decentralized, state-level regulatory framework and fostering private investment. For NDPHC, this means transitioning from a government-funded project executor to a commercially viable player in a competitive market. “For the first time,” Shettima explained, “the company now operates within a framework that offers clearer legal authority, greater commercial flexibility, and stronger institutional footing to compete, partner, and grow.”

This evolution presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The Board envisions NDPHC shifting “from an intervention-driven institution into a commercially disciplined and performance-focused enterprise.” In practical terms, this likely involves optimizing its existing portfolio of ten gas-fired power plants and associated transmission infrastructure, exploring public-private partnerships, and potentially venturing into renewable energy to diversify the national grid. Shettima noted the board has already prioritized “extracting greater value from existing power sector assets,” a move that could involve improving the abysmally low average capacity utilization of Nigeria’s generation fleet.

The Vice-President assured that the board would provide strategic direction and uphold governance standards, while “protecting shareholders’ value on behalf of the Nigerian people.” This statement underscores the delicate balance NDPHC must strike: achieving commercial success without abandoning its foundational social mandate to provide reliable, accessible power. [[PEAI_MEDIA_X]] The “road ahead,” as Shettima acknowledged, “will demand discipline, courage, and partnership.”

The ministerial endorsements that followed reinforced this strategic vision. The Minister of Power, Dr. Adebayo Adelabu, commended NDPHC’s historical role in ensuring grid stability and attracting investment, expressing confidence in its capacity to deepen stakeholder partnerships. Similarly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, advised continued alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda’s reforms. This cross-ministerial support highlights the critical intersection of power and gas sector policies; NDPHC’s success is inextricably linked to resolving the perennial gas supply and pricing issues that plague Nigeria’s thermal power plants.

In essence, the 20th anniversary has become a launchpad for NDPHC’s next chapter. The call to action is clear: leverage the new legal and commercial landscape of the Electricity Act, transform corporate culture, and execute with a focus on both profitability and national duty. The outcome will be a key determinant of whether Nigeria can finally convert its immense energy potential into tangible, sustained power for its people and economy. (NAN)

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Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi