The Niger Delta Power Holding Company has restored operations at the 450-megawatt Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State after the facility remained shut for three years due to gas supply disruptions, metering disagreements and outstanding debts.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, disclosed this during a meeting with Abia State Governor Alex Otti, where she briefed the government on steps taken to reactivate the plant.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations at NDPHC, Emmanuel Ojor, the facility was shut down in 2023 after disputes over gas metering and trading points led gas supplier TotalEnergies to suspend supply to the plant.
The shutdown also resulted in mounting debts owed to the supplier, further worsening the plant’s operational difficulties.
The Alaoji Power Plant, located near Aba in Abia State, is one of Nigeria’s major government-owned power generation facilities developed under the National Integrated Power Projects to address electricity shortages across the country.
The gas-fired plant was conceived during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and is managed by the NDPHC, the agency responsible for implementing the National Integrated Power Projects nationwide.
Despite its strategic importance, the facility has experienced repeated shutdowns over the years due to gas shortages, pipeline vandalism, commercial disputes and debt-related issues.
Speaking during the meeting, Adighije said reviving the power plant became one of the company’s priorities after she assumed office in 2024 because of its importance to electricity supply in the South-East and the national grid.
She explained that both technical and financial measures were implemented to restore the plant.
“The Niger Delta Power Holding Company, led by Engr. Jennifer Adighije, has restored operations at the 450-megawatt Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State after it was shut down in 2023 over gas supply and metering disputes.
“The good news is that we have carried out and fixed all the remedial works on the defective gas line. We’ve also been able to completely defray our past due obligations to Total, and Total has restored gas supply to the plant,” she said.
Adighije stated that the company had completed major electromechanical restoration works on generating units GT1, GT22 and GT23, which are now capable of supplying about 375 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
“We have completed extensive electromechanical restoration works on the generating units. The plant is now positioned to contribute meaningfully to grid stability and improved electricity supply,” she stated.
She also praised the Abia State Government for reforms in the electricity sector, including the Aba ring-fenced electricity arrangement and the establishment of a state electricity regulatory agency.
“We would love to form a strategic alliance with Abia State considering the fact that you are very driven and determined to secure uninterrupted electricity for the good people of Abia State,” she said.
Responding, Governor Otti described the restoration of the plant as a significant development capable of boosting industrialisation, economic growth and living standards in the state.
“The last time I visited the Alaoji plant, it was regrettable that such capacity was wasting away. I’m glad to learn that you have brought it back to life,” the governor said.
Otti added that the plant could eventually expand beyond its current installed capacity to generate as much as 1,100 megawatts, depending on available funding.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving electricity supply through investments in power infrastructure, renewable energy and mini-grid systems.
“We are determined to ensure stable electricity supply because power is central to industrialisation, business growth and economic transformation,” Otti stated.
The governor directed the Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utility to begin discussions with NDPHC officials on supplying electricity from the Alaoji plant to Umuahia and other parts of the state.
Also speaking after inspecting the facility, the Acting Chief Operating Officer of the Alaoji Power Plant, Emenogu Augustine Uzoma, confirmed that the station was fully ready for operations following the restoration works.
The revival of the plant is expected to strengthen electricity supply in the South-East and improve stability on the national grid as states increasingly pursue direct power arrangements under the amended Electricity Act.
