- NDPHC missed its August 2025 deadline to restore the 500 MW Alaoji power plant, blaming pending approvals for gas supply and metering systems.
- Officials confirmed that the equipment is already on site and that installation will begin after the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company certifies it.
The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has blamed the delay in reconnecting the Alaoji Power Plant to the national grid on incomplete approvals for gas supply and metering systems on Sunday, October 5. The company said the approval process has shifted the plant’s expected return date.
NDPHC missed its August 2025 deadline to revive the 500-megawatt Alaoji facility, heightening concerns about the Federal Government’s ability to restore idle generation assets and address Nigeria’s power deficit. The National Integrated Power Project built the plant, which has remained idle for nearly two years, deepening the country’s electricity shortage.
In July, NDPHC’s Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije, pledged to restart the facility by August. She described the plan as a key step in the company’s strategy to revive dormant generation assets and improve grid supply. During a visit to the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s headquarters, Adighije led a delegation to strengthen collaboration with the transmission operator. She said the company had doubled its generation availability within nine months and aimed to restore one more unit at Omotosho and the Alaoji plant soon after.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) confirmed in its latest market factsheet that Alaoji produced no electricity in August. While Olorunsogo I and Omotosho I plants operated at more than 90 per cent capacity, Alaoji recorded a zero per cent load factor.
Officials mentioned that NDPHC had completed equipment procurement and delivered everything to the site. They said the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC) must still certify the gas supply and metering installations before engineers begin the final phase. “The plant remains offline because we are waiting for NGIC to certify the gas infrastructure,” one official said. “Once they approve it, installation will begin immediately.”
The officials added that the certification process should conclude this quarter, allowing the 500MW plant to resume operation before year-end. Another senior source said the plant could reconnect to the grid within three weeks of NGIC’s approval. “We are ready to start. Once NGIC signs off on the gas supply, installation will take about three weeks, and Alaoji will generate power again,” the source said.
The delay has reignited public frustration about the government’s slow response to Nigeria’s power crisis. Industry observers say repeated setbacks in rehabilitating generation assets undermine efforts to close the country’s huge electricity gap.
NERC’s report showed that Nigeria generated an average of 4,106 megawatt-hours per hour in August, far below the 17,000MW needed for a stable supply. Only 40 per cent of the nation’s 13,625MW installed capacity remained available. The report also highlighted that top-performing plants like Olorunsogo I and Omotosho I delivered 98 and 93 per cent load, respectively, while Alaoji Station and Sapele Steam Plant produced almost nothing.
The ongoing shortfall continues to force industries and households to rely on costly diesel and gas generators, increasing production costs and weakening competitiveness.