Niger Delta Power Company Affirms Reforms Amid Spending, Governance Allegations

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has reaffirmed its commitment to operational reforms, debt recovery, and power infrastructure enhancements despite recent media reports raising concerns about spending and governance under its current managing director/CEO, Jennifer Adighije.

The company stated on Sunday that since her appointment in August 2024, Adighije has led efforts to revive dormant plants, restoring approximately 625-750MW across sites like Calabar, Omotosho, Benin, and Alaoji, addressing prior low availability due to maintenance and grid issues.

The NDPHC’s Head of Corporate and External Communications, Emmanuel Ojor, in a statement, said these steps align with the NDPHC’s mandate to optimise existing assets amid transmission constraints and legacy debts exceeding N4 trillion, with bilateral sales to eligible customers boosting liquidity.

The company rebutted allegations of ‘Reckless Spending and Corruption’ published by an online media,
the company stated that claims of reckless spending, including a purported N900 million for a “25-year celebration,” misrepresent unapproved proposals;

According to it, NDPHC, established in 2005, plans a board-approved 20th anniversary to highlight contributions, with budgets pending committee review. It also said that procurement reforms, including a price benchmarking desk and EFCC partnership, ensure compliance, countering vague “expensive media consultants” references—activities like a public TV programme fall within approved budgets for stakeholder education.

The company clarified that private jet use occurs rarely for time-sensitive official travel across NDPHC’s nationwide assets, supplemented by extensive road tours, all of which are board-approved.
The stated, “The managing director/chief executive officer, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, considers the publication a dubious and ill‑intended attempt to smear her person and mislead well‑meaning Nigerians who, through the federal and state governments, are shareholders in NDPHC.

“To prevent misinformation among the Nigerian public, NDPHC staff, customers and partners, this rebuttal responds concisely and factually to the issues raised in the publication as follows: The general allegation of “massive corruption, reckless spending” and that NDPHC has “not added a single megawatt” under the current managing director is false, misleading and ignores both the statutory mandate of the Company and the sector realities of the Nigerian electricity market.

Since her assumption of office, Engr. Adighije has focused on bold and necessary reforms to:
• Optimise the performance of the Company assets to ramp up revenue while curtailing excessive and unjustified expenditure within the Company;
• Enhance NDPHC’s liquidity by aggressively pursuing the recovery of the monumental debts owed to the Company for energy already delivered;
• Optimise internal processes to drive operational efficiency;
• Leveraging technology to enhance the productivity of the workforce to transform the Company’s performance to the benefit of the Nigerian people.

It is therefore doubtful that the so‑called petitioners are genuine workers of NDPHC who are conversant with the Company’s achievements and priorities. NDPHC personnel are also clearly aware that adding new generation capacity is not the immediate priority of NDPHC at this time, given the significant stranded capacity already available in the Company’s fleet of plants, the lack of adequate wheeling capacity in the national grid to evacuate and dispatch this power, and the hundreds of billions of Naira currently owed to NDPHC for power that has already been generated and delivered to the electricity market. The statutory mandate of NDPHC, having regard to the reasons for its creation and its current status, is clear on these priorities, which are fully aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda in the power sector.

“The story refers to a proposed ₦900 million budget for a “25‑Year Celebration”, describing it as a “money‑siphoning jamboree”. This allegation is mischievous and speculative.

Even by the account contained in the article, this figure is referred to as a proposed budget — that is, a draft which, if it exists at all, has not been approved. It is therefore laughable and dishonest to present an unapproved budget proposal as evidence of financial misconduct. It is also curious to understand how a 25 Year Celebration can be planned for an organization that was established in 2005. The Board of NDPHC which is chaired by His Excellency Vice President Kashim Shettima has approved a 20-year anniversary commemoration to showcase the giant strides and invaluable contribution that NDPHC has made in advancing power sector reforms. The Managing Director, known for demonstrating prudence, set up and inaugurated a planning committee to drive the event preparations of which a budget is yet to be prepared.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Managing Director cannot, and has not, unilaterally approved any such expenditure of 900 million naira for any event. To raise alarm over a figure that has not been approved, and whose details (if it exists) have not even been finalised, only confirms the ill motive behind this smear campaign.

“The article also alleges that the Managing Director “fly’s private jets on official trips” and questions whether this reflects the mandate of the President.

As the head of a strategic national power company with critical assets spread across all geopolitical zones of the country, the Managing Director is frequently required to meet urgent operational, regulatory and stakeholder obligations in several locations within very tight timelines. On rare occasions, and only where strictly necessary, chartered or private flights have been utilised to enable her discharge these responsibilities when commercial airline schedules cannot practically accommodate the time‑sensitive nature of such official engagements.

These instances even though are few and far between, are strictly for official purposes, and remain fully within the approved operational budget of the office of the Managing Director, with the knowledge and approval of the Board. The sponsors of the story also conveniently failed to mention that Engr. Adighije has, in the same period, undertaken extensive tours of all NDPHC installations across the country, in many cases travelling long hours by road in challenging conditions, precisely to understand first‑hand the issues affecting these assets and to drive solutions. This demonstrates her level of discipline and commitment to the job.

To cherry‑pick occasional use of approved chartered flights, while concealing the far more frequent and strenuous road travels undertaken in service of the Company and the nation, further exposes the intent to sensationalise rather than inform.

“The article makes a vague allegation about “expensive media consultants” and claims that “teams of media handlers follow her around — paid with public funds — while the company collapses internally”, without providing any details, figures or evidence.

Like every reputable organisation, NDPHC explores strategic communication and marketing avenues to explain its mandate, critical activities and business opportunities to its stakeholders and the general public. It is public knowledge that NDPHC currently sponsors a board‑approved television programme intended to enlighten Nigerians about the Company’s objectives, its projects, its eligible customer initiative and its capacity to support national development. This is particularly important because many Nigerians were previously unaware of the role, assets, opportunities and milestones associated with NDPHC.

The sponsorship and related media engagements are undertaken transparently, within approved budgets, in strict compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards. The financial records of these activities are available to the Board and relevant oversight authorities. To loosely label this as “expensive media consultants” without a single verifiable fact again underscores the ulterior motive behind the article.

“The story alleges that the Managing Director manipulated promotion examinations and “changed the promotion cut‑off marks to favour her loyalists” and references a so‑called “Save Our Career” petition to the NDPHC Board.

These claims are entirely false. The current promotion exercises within NDPHC were conceived and implemented to promote merit, professionalism, equity, fairness and career progression, in line with Engr. Adighije’s clear commitment to continuing professional development leveraging technology to improve working conditions for all staff. The guidelines for the examinations were developed through the Company’s established HR and management policy; they were not designed or altered personally by the Managing Director, nor were they intended to favour any supposed “loyalists” and the examination outcomes for the senior cadre of staff is yet to be concluded. For avoidance of doubt, no official communication by the HR department has been issued to the senior exam candidates with respect to the examination results. In the junior cadre, which has been successfully concluded and communicated to the staff, the junior staff expressed satisfaction with the outcome and therefore it is unbelievable that the senior staff who are yet to be officially informed by HR of the examination outcomes are raising alarm prematurely.

It is important to emphasise that Engr. Adighije did not work in NDPHC prior to her appointment and does not have entrenched “camps” or favourites within the workforce. Her insistence has been that the best candidates — irrespective of tribe, background or perceived alignment — should emerge through a transparent and competitive process. Understandably, those who had hoped to secure promotion through political influence or back‑door arrangements may be disgruntled by this principled stance.
It is well known that the Managing Director leverages her motherly instincts and operates an open‑door policy and is empathetic to the genuine concerns of staff. She has consistently encouraged employees to channel grievances through appropriate internal mechanisms, where they will be heard and addressed. If indeed a “Save Our Career” petition has been submitted to the Board — which is fully aware of, and approves, the key decisions that the MD is required to implement — this is welcomed as an opportunity to clarify facts, address any misunderstandings and further strengthen the integrity of the promotion process,” the NDPHC stated.

The company also stated thT the suggestion that there is “zero impact” is not only unfounded but regrettable when the MD’s achievements are widely published. While systemic challenges in the power sector persist, NDPHC under the current leadership has made significant strides in stabilising operations and positioning the company for sustainable growth. Some of her notable achievements 1 year in office include (amongst several others):
1. Assets recovery: Recovery of 110 containers worth over 5 million USD containing critical turbine parts, HRSG parts and other materials that had been abandoned at Onne port for over 9 years
2. Recouping investments: Advanced discussions with NERC on recouping NDPHC’s investments in enhancing TCN’s Transmission grid expansion plan
3. Plant assets restoration: In 1 year, 6 nos. gas turbines across the fleet that were dormant have been restored (GT4 – Calabar NIPP, GT1 – Omotosho II, GT1&2 – Benin NIPP, GT3&4 – Alaoji NIPP); Totalling about 750MW added to the power generation mechanical availability
4. Debt recovery: Recovery of over 10 million USD from bilateral customers in legacy debts
5. Enhanced procurement: Establishing a price benchmarking desk for streamlining procurement to promote compliance with public procurement act 2007
6. Leveraging technology: Introduction of Computer Based Test CBT to foster transparency and implemented to promote merit, professionalism, equity, fairness in staff career progression
7. Improved staff morale: Introduction of management support allowance to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal across all cadre of staff
8. Capital projects completion:
• Completion of 1×7.5MVA 33/11kv injection substation with 3km 33kv line in Borno state university, Maiduguri, Borno state
• Completion of 1×7.5MVA 33/11kv injection substation with 1km 33kv line & 8 nos 330kv distribution transformers at Orogun, Delta state
• Completion of 1x15MVA, 33/11kV Injection substation with 1km of 33kV line, 5km of LT Line and supply and installation of 3nos. 500KVA 11/0.415KV Distribution Transformers in College of Agriculture, Maiduguri, Borno State.
• Completion of Afam-Ikot Ekpene Double-Circuit Transmission Line and Afam 330KV Line Bay Extension (NIPP Lot 4T)
9. Major projects – Commencement of the delivery and connection of commercial cluster in Agbara industrial estate to the Grid under the “Light up Nigeria” project
10. Commencement of the site acquisition for the delivery of 10MW embedded generation solution via solar renewable energy to serve customers in an industrial area in Kano
11. Commencement of the restoration of the Gbarain NIPP 225MW plant which has been dormant since year 2020
12. Bilateral transactions: Unlocking about 500MW executed in power purchase agreements PPAs currently awaiting NERC approval to operationalize
13. Engaged SIEMENS to carry out extended minor inspections at Geregu NIPP which has been completed thereby extending the plants EOH
14. Secured insurance claims from underwriters to defray about $15,000,000:00 (Fifteen Million USD) Insurance claims on fire incident at Alaoji plant
15. Resolve the lingering dispute with ACCUGAS on outstanding invoices leading to the mutually agreed amendment of the GSA to reduce the contractual exposure of the government
Going forward, the Managing Director urges Sahara Reporters and all responsible media outlets to seek clarification from her office on any issue relating to NDPHC before publication, in line with the elementary principles of fair hearing and ethical journalism.
While NDPHC and its managing director remain committed to transparency, accountability and constructive engagement with the public, Engr. Adighije will not hesitate to exercise her fundamental rights — including seeking legal redress — against any media platform that publishes demonstrably false allegations against her without affording her a fair opportunity to respond. The company therefore strongly advises SR to withdraw this malicious story.