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The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Jennifer Adighije, has said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a game-changer in Nigeria’s quest for more efficient, reliable and affordable electricity supply.
Speaking during an engagement with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Adighije explained that NDPHC has integrated Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) into the operations of its power plants, enabling the company to detect equipment faults before they occur, reduce outages and improve electricity generation.
According to her, the deployment of AI-powered predictive maintenance systems marks a major shift from conventional maintenance practices to intelligent, data-driven operations capable of boosting plant efficiency and ensuring uninterrupted power generation.
“We have moved beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance,” she said.
Adighije explained that unlike preventive maintenance, which relies on fixed maintenance schedules, predictive maintenance uses AI, machine learning algorithms, sensors and real-time data analytics to continuously monitor the health of critical equipment and accurately predict failures before they happen.
She noted that the technology has significantly improved the reliability of NDPHC’s gas-fired power plants by enabling engineers to monitor turbine performance, fuel efficiency, vibration levels, temperature changes and equipment wear in real time.
According to her, early detection of faults allows the company to intervene before minor defects develop into major failures, thereby reducing forced outages, lowering maintenance costs and improving the availability of power plants.
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“The adoption of AI is helping us optimise plant performance, improve generation efficiency and deliver more reliable electricity to Nigerians,” she said.
NDPHC, established under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), is one of Nigeria’s largest power generation companies and a major provider of transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The company has executed hundreds of transmission and distribution projects, including substations, transmission lines, transformers and switchgear installations designed to strengthen the national electricity grid.
Adighije said AI would become increasingly important as Nigeria seeks to modernise its electricity sector and address long-standing challenges such as inadequate generation, transmission constraints, technical losses and grid instability.
She noted that intelligent technologies are also improving operational decision-making, enabling operators to respond faster to changing system conditions and maximise the performance of existing assets.
The NDPHC CEO added that AI has the potential to revolutionise Nigeria’s power sector by enhancing grid stability, improving demand forecasting, optimising load balancing and strengthening asset management across the electricity value chain
With electricity demand rising alongside Nigeria’s expanding industrial and commercial activities, AI-powered digital systems could play a critical role in improving energy security, attracting investment and accelerating the country’s transition to a more resilient and sustainable power sector. Adighije reaffirmed that innovation will remain central to NDPHC’s strategy, stressing that embracing AI and other digital technologies is no longer optional but essential to delivering stable, efficient and affordable electricity capable of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth.
