By Constance Athekame
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) says it was partnering with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Haier Technologies to deliver 20 Megawatts (MW) embedded solar generation to support businesses in the Challawa area, Kano.
Mr Emmanuel Ojor, Head, Corporate Communications and External Relations, NDPHC said this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
Ojor quoted the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mrs Jennifer Adighije as saying this when she led a high-level management team on a site survey and assessment of the Challawa Industrial District in Kano.
He said that she was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director of Generation, NDPHC, Mr Kassim Abdulahi, and the Executive Director of Corporate Services, NDPHC, Mr Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama
Speaking during a meeting with business owners in Challawa, 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.
She said” It is a pleasure to be at the Challawa Industrial Area. This is a very important and emotional visit.
“I recall that on Dec 7th, 2024, the Chairman of NDPHC Board and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, visited Challawa and before he returned to Abuja, he called and gave us a directive to provide an alternative source of electricity to the area,”she said.
While addressing the delay between the Vice President’s directive and the current visit, she explained that it took NDPHC a few months to come because they had to engage development partners that will come up with a cost effective solution that will offer affordable tariffs for the Challawa community.
Adighije said 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, ”she said.
According to her, “the output of the manufacturing sector should directly translate into job creation, wealth generation, and poverty reduction adding that Kano is symbolic and strategic to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
She also assured the business owners that NDPHC and its partners are fully committed to deploying embedded solutions that would significantly benefit manufacturers in the area.
The managing director said that as a generation company, NDPHC primarily supplies power from its gas-fired plants to the national grid.
She said that with the power market now transitioning to a bilateral trading structure, 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.
“You can be assured that our electricity pricing will be highly competitive—better than what is currently available from distribution companies, she said.
The team’s first stop was at the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), where they were received by the Managing Director, Mr Abu Jimeta where both CEOs reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration in developing viable models to enhance electricity access in Kano and its environs.
.The joint visit also included representatives from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Haier Technologies.
Others on the visit include NDPHC’s development partner who are collaborating on a 20MW embedded solar generation facility aimed at supporting vulnerable businesses in the Challawa area.