The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has announced a partnership with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Haier Technologies to deliver a 20-megawatt embedded solar power facility to the Challawa Industrial Area in Kano State.
The initiative was formally set in motion during a high-level site assessment visit led by the Managing Director/CEO of NDPHC, Engr. Jennifer Adighije.
She was accompanied by key executives, including the Executive Director of Generation, Engr. Kassim Abdulahi, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Engr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
The team first visited the headquarters of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), where they held strategic talks with its Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abu Jimeta.
A statement by the NDPHC’s Head, Corporate Communications and External Relations, Emmanuel Ojor, in Abuja on Friday, stated that both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration for improved electricity access across Kano and its environs.
Also present during the tour were representatives of NASENI and Haier Technologies, who are collaborating with NDPHC to execute the solar power project, which is targeted at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large-scale manufacturers in Challawa.
Adighije, who addressed business owners during the visit, described the exercise as “significant and emotional,” noting the industrial area’s vital contribution to national revenue and employment.
“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.
She acknowledged the delay in implementation but clarified that the period was spent mobilising credible development partners to ensure a cost-effective and 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 explained.
According to her, the initiative is part of a broader national objective to unlock Kano’s solar potential and transform it into a dependable energy source for local industries.
“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,” she added.
Adighije said that the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s industrialisation and poverty-reduction agenda, describing Kano as “symbolic and strategic” to the administration’s economic vision.
She further assured manufacturers that NDPHC remains committed to delivering embedded generation solutions that bypass the traditional grid system to provide dedicated power to industrial hubs.
“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 said.
She encouraged manufacturers and industrial associations in Challawa to explore the option of forming registered trading entities to procure electricity directly from NDPHC under the new bilateral trading regime.
“You will find our tariffs highly competitive and more favourable than the current offerings from the distribution companies,” she assured.
