Manufacturers in Kano State have expressed readiness to bypass electricity distribution companies (Discos) and procure power directly from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), in a bid to tackle the worsening energy crisis stifling industrial activities in the state.
The move was disclosed during a recent visit by a 20-member delegation of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kano Branch, to the NDPHC headquarters.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, assured the manufacturers of the company’s willingness to partner with them under the Eligible Customer framework, with a view to boosting industrial growth, creating jobs, and advancing socio-economic development.
“We are committed to working with the manufacturing sector to drive industrial growth. Within the provisions of the Eligible Customer framework, we are ready to partner with MAN in Kano to make this happen,” Adighije said in a statement on Sunday.
She explained that recent improvements in NDPHC’s plant availability had positioned the company to ramp up supply and meet off-taker demands once regulatory approval is secured. She added that the revival of key assets, including the Omotosho and Alaoji power plants, would further strengthen generation capacity.
Leader of the MAN delegation and Managing Director of Dala Foods, Ali Madugu, urged NDPHC to extend its Eligible Customer Programme to Kano manufacturers, stressing that reliable electricity supply was vital to reviving industries and sustaining jobs in the state.
“Our members have both the capacity and the willingness to procure power directly from NDPHC. Access to reliable electricity is critical for reviving industries and sustaining jobs in Kano State,” Madugu said.
Executive Director of Corporate Services, Commercial and Strategy at NDPHC, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, alongside the Executive Director of Networks, Bello Babayo Bello, also presented a roadmap on how Kano manufacturers could leverage the company’s supply opportunities.
Adighije further recalled that NDPHC plans to commercialise about 200 megawatts of its stranded 2,000 megawatts by the end of 2025, lamenting what she described as the “abysmally low uptake of electricity” by Discos, which she said had hampered operations.
The meeting ended on an optimistic note, with both parties expressing confidence in a potential partnership that could unlock Kano’s industrial potential.
