Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving electricity supply in the state through partnerships and reforms in the power sector.
Otti stated this while receiving the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije, during a meeting at the Government House in Umuahia on Wednesday.
The governor commended the company for restoring operations at the 450MW Alaoji Open Circuit Power Plant following remedial works and the resolution of issues with gas suppliers.
“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.
“We want to congratulate you and thank you again for bringing the Alaoji plant back to life. Generating close to 400 megawatts is a major achievement,” Otti said.
He noted that the development would support the state’s efforts to improve electricity supply, particularly within the Umuahia power market being developed by the government.
Otti disclosed that the state government had signed an agreement with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to acquire electricity distribution assets covering parts of the state.
“That agreement has been signed, and we are now at the payment stage.
“Once completed, and with the establishment of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency, we will have the framework necessary to drive efficient power distribution within the State,” the governor added.
The governor also said the state was investing in renewable energy and mini-grid projects to achieve stable electricity supply through different energy sources.
Earlier, Adighije said the company had restored three generating units at the Alaoji plant, making about 375 megawatts available for transmission to the national grid.
She explained that the plant had been shut down since 2023 due to issues involving gas supply and metering discrepancies.
Adighije added that the company carried out rehabilitation works and cleared outstanding obligations owed to gas suppliers before restoring the plant.
She also expressed the company’s readiness to partner with the Abia State Government to improve electricity supply under the Electricity Act framework.
“As the largest power generation company in Nigeria with over 4,000 megawatts installed capacity, we are aggressively pursuing strategic partnerships with State governments and eligible customers. We believe Abia State presents a strong and viable partnership opportunity,” she said.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Meribeole, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, PhD, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, and the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr Ikechukwu, were present during the visit.
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