Members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in Kano State in Kano have indicated their readiness to bypass the utility companies in the state for direct power supply from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, saying this will address the severe power challenges crippling local manufacturing activities in the state.

This is as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije, assured them of the company’s willingness to partner with them to drive industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance the socio-economic development of the country.

Adighije, who was speaking during the recent visit of a 20-member delegation from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Kano Branch, to her office, also expressed NDPHC’s readiness to sell electricity directly to the manufacturers within the ambit of regulations and infrastructural capacity.

“We are committed to partnering with the manufacturing sector to drive industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance socio-economic development. Within the provisions of the eligible customer framework, we are ready to work with MAN in Kano to make this happen,” she was quoted in a statement on Sunday.

She noted that the company’s recent improvement in plant availability has positioned NDPHC to ramp up supply and meet off-taker demands once regulatory approval is received, adding that the revival of key assets, including the Omotosho and Alaoji power plants, will further enhance generation capacity.

The delegation, led by the Managing Director of Dala Foods, Kano, Ali Madugu, had requested direct power purchase from the power company. Madugu was said to have appealed to the NDPHC managing director to extend the company’s Eligible Customer Programme to MAN members in Kano “to address the severe power challenges crippling local manufacturing activities in the state.”

He emphasised the readiness of MAN to partner with NDPHC for a sustainable power supply. “Our members have both the capacity and the willingness to procure power directly from NDPHC. Access to reliable electricity is critical for reviving industries and sustaining jobs in Kano State,” he stated.

Meanwhile, NDPHC’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, Commercial and Strategy, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, and the Executive Director of Networks, Bello Babayo Bello, provided a detailed roadmap on how MAN Kano could take advantage of NDPHC’s power supply opportunities.

Recall that Adighije had stated earlier that the company plans to free and commercialise approximately 200 megawatts of its 2,000 megawatts of stranded electricity by the end of 2025.

She had also bemoaned what she called the “abysmally low uptake of electricity” from the electricity market by the electricity distribution companies, saying this had significantly weighed down the company’s operations.

“The meeting ended on a positive note, with both parties expressing optimism about a mutually beneficial partnership to unlock industrial potential in Kano,” the statement added.