The Niger Delta Power Holding Company has unveiled plans to deploy a 20-megawatt embedded solar power facility to the Challawa Industrial Area in Kano State.
This effort comes through a strategic partnership with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure and Haier Technologies.
The rollout gained momentum during a high-level site assessment visit led by NDPHC’s Managing Director/CEO, Jennifer Adighije.
She was joined by Executive Director of Generation, Kassim Abdulahi, and Executive Director of Corporate Services, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
As part of the visit, the NDPHC team met with the Managing Director/CEO of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Abu Jimeta, for strategic discussions on electricity delivery across Kano State.
A statement by the NDPHC’s Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations, Emmanuel Ojor, issued in Abuja on Friday, emphasized the mutual commitment of both organizations to enhancing electricity access throughout Kano and nearby regions.
Also present at the site were representatives of NASENI and Haier Technologies, both of whom are working with NDPHC to implement the solar project.
The initiative is aimed at empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large-scale manufacturers in the Challawa industrial cluster.
During an address to business owners in the area, Adighije described the event as “significant and emotional,” citing the industrial cluster’s critical role in job creation and revenue generation.
“This is a very important and emotional visit. I recall that on December 7th last year, the Chairman of our Board and Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, visited Challawa.
“Before returning to Abuja, he directed NDPHC to provide an alternative power source for the area,” she said.
While acknowledging the delay in project commencement, Adighije explained that the time was spent securing reliable development partners to build a sustainable solution.
“We didn’t want to rush in with a quick fix. Instead, I engaged NASENI and Haier to design a viable model that ensures affordable and reliable electricity through solar energy,” she noted.
She added that the solar initiative is part of a broader national push to harness Kano’s renewable energy potential and support the local manufacturing base.
“I saw businesses with the capacity to create jobs and generate wealth being stifled by inadequate electricity. This should not be the case. Solar power offers us a real chance to change this narrative,” Adighije stated.
Aligning the project with President Bola Tinubu’s national goals, Adighije highlighted its alignment with the administration’s focus on industrialisation and poverty alleviation.
“Kano is symbolic and strategic to the administration’s economic vision,” she said.
She reiterated that NDPHC remains dedicated to delivering embedded generation systems that operate outside the national grid, specifically for industrial power supply.
“Though NDPHC traditionally supplies electricity to the national grid through gas-fired plants, the evolving electricity market now allows us to sell directly to distribution companies, bulk buyers, or registered consumer groups,” she explained.
Encouraging stakeholders in Challawa to consider new procurement models, she called on manufacturers and industrial associations to form registered trading entities to take advantage of the new bilateral power trading opportunities.
“You will find our tariffs highly competitive and more favourable than the current offerings from the distribution companies,” Adighije assured.