Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has hailed the revival of the Alaoji Power Plant by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), noting that the development is a major boost to the state’s drive towards stable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Governor Otti gave the commendation while receiving the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Engr. Jennifer Adighije, and her management team during a courtesy visit in his office at Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The governor said the restoration of operations at the Alaoji facility was encouraging, particularly as the state intensifies efforts to strengthen power supply across its industrial, commercial and residential corridors.
He further disclosed that there were plans to expand the facility’s generating capacity from about 500 megawatts in simple cycle operation to nearly 800 megawatts through the ongoing combined cycle project.
“The last time I visited the Alaoji plant, it was regrettable that such capacity was wasting away. And I’m glad to learn that you have brought it back to life.
“There are even chances that the capacity will be expanded to 800 MW.
“I also do know that there is further expansion that will bring it to about 1,100 MW, subject to availability of funds”, Governor Otti noted.
Governor Otti who reiterated that electricity remains central to economic growth and social development, stressed that his administration had prioritised the Power sector since assuming office in 2023.
“The truth about the matter is that power is one of the most important infrastructures for driving growth in any economy.
“Production depends on power. Life itself depends on power. Schools, hospitals, everybody requires power,”, the governor stated.
He said that Abia State had already ring-fenced the Umuahia electricity axis outside the Aba Integrated Power Project corridor and was working towards taking full control of electricity distribution in the area.
Governor Otti disclosed that the state government had already concluded arrangements to acquire the Umuahia axis of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), covering areas from Umuahia to Arochukwu and Umunneochi.
According to him, the transaction was nearing completion and would place generation, regulation and distribution structures substantially under the control of the state.
“We have entered into an agreement with EEDC to literally buy them off from the Umuahia axis all the way to Arochukwu and Umunneochi. That agreement has been signed and we are at the point of payment”, he said.
Governor Otti, explained that the establishment of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency had further positioned the state to regulate and manage its electricity market in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act.
He expressed optimism that collaboration with NDPHC would enable the state to wheel power directly from the Alaoji plant to the remaining eight local government areas outside the Aba ring-fenced zone.
“The last time we looked at the eight local governments, we believed that anywhere about 100 megawatts would serve them.
“So I would like us to sit down and work out modalities under which we can wheel power from Alaoji. It is a low-hanging fruit because the distance is short”, he said.
Earlier, the NDPHC Managing Director, Adighije, informed the governor that the Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant, one of the company’s ten generating plants, had resumed operations after extensive rehabilitation works.
Engr Adighije said the 450-megawatt facility was shut down in 2023 following disputes involving metering discrepancies and gas supply challenges with TotalEnergies.
According to her, the company had since resolved the issues, repaired defective gas lines, cleared outstanding debts owed to the gas supplier and restored three out of four generating units at the plant.
Engr Adighije stated that the plant now has the capacity to dispatch about 375 megawatts to the national grid, adding that evacuation infrastructure along the corridor remains adequate.
“The good news is that we have restored and fixed all the remedial works on the defective gas line.
“We’ve also been able to defray completely our past due obligations to Total, and Total has restored gas supply to the plant.
“We have the 132KV double circuit line from Alaoji to Ikot Ekpene and another 330KV circuit from Ikot Ekpene to Ugwuaji.
“So it is a very viable power generation plant for customers interested in grid-imported electricity”, she added.
The NDPHC boss also lauded Governor Otti’s efforts in reforming the electricity sector in Abia State, particularly the successful ring-fencing of the Aba industrial and commercial cluster.
She expressed the company’s readiness to enter into strategic partnerships with the Abia State Government under the new electricity market structure enabled by the Electricity Act.
“We are now leveraging the Electricity Act and the transitioning of the electricity market towards bilateral trading.
“We are pursuing commercial customers, eligible customers, bilateral customers and state governments”, she said.
Engr. Adighije further reminded the governor that Abia State is a shareholder in NDPHC and urged the state to prioritise the company in future electricity partnerships.
“We would pray that should you consider a power generation company to partner with, or as a franchisee, we would want you to look to NDPHC first before looking at others”, she said.
Also, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr Ikechukwu Monday, said the state was exploring collaborative opportunities with the power generation company as part of ongoing efforts to address electricity challenges.
Mr Monday noted that NDPHC operates one of the largest power generation facilities in sub-Saharan Africa through the Alaoji power plant situated in the state.
He added that the Otti led administration has already made significant progress in restructuring the power sector, especially in the Umuahia axis which covers eight local government areas outside the Aba ring-fenced area.
