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Sahara Group subsidiary FIPL, appoints Nwangwu CEO, targets energy mix expansion

Sahara Group subsidiary FIPL, appoints Nwangwu CEO,  targets energy mix expansion

Kenechukwu Nwangwu, new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First Independent Power Limited (FIPL)

The Board of First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), a Sahara Power Group company, has appointed Kenechukwu Nwangwu as its new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer as the company moves to ramp up generation via alternative energy sources.

“We are excited to welcome Kenechukwu to the team at a time when Sahara Group is moving swiftly towards more responsible power generation in line with our commitment to promoting environmental sustainability. We also believe our young engineers will have a lot to learn from the vast experience Kenechukwu is bringing to FIPL,” said Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group.

The appointment will drive FIPL’s ongoing transformation towards sustainable and efficient power generation, especially in the Niger Delta and South-South regions of Nigeria, he said.

Adesina said since its acquisition in 2013, FIPL had achieved a remarkable capacity increase from 143 MW to 429 MW through continuous investment in overhauls, technology, and human capital.

He also commended the Rivers State Government for its unwavering support and contribution to FIPL’s continuing success. “We will continue to strengthen our collaboration with the government and good people of Rivers State towards enhancing industrialization and galvanizing socio-economic growth through FIPL’s efficient power generation and corporate citizenship,” he said.

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Nwangwu who brings over two decades of professional experience to FIPL, said he found the FIPL project “exceptional and future ready”. He said: “Just like other entities under the Sahara Group, FIPL has a unique value proposition for all stakeholders. I am delighted to join the vision of bringing energy to life responsibly to all stakeholders with Team FIPL.”

Nwangwu joins FIPL from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd, where he was the CEO, SPDC JV Afam VI 650MW Combined Cycle Power Plant. He led the business creditably with notable achievement in enhancing uptime, optimizing production, and reducing generation losses.

Besides being a Fellow of several professional bodies, Kenechukwu holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a Graduate Certificate in Oil and Gas Engineering at the SITP/ Robert Gordon University Aberdeen program, and a master’s degree in Petroleum Technology from Curtin University Australia. He also holds two Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) degrees from Maverick Business Academy London and Commonwealth University.

With a total installed capacity of 541MW, FIPL is a Power generation company located in Rivers State, in the Niger Delta region of Southern Nigeria. FIPL has four Power plants under its portfolio strategically located across the State in Afam (180MW), Omoku (150MW), Trans Amadi (136MW) and Eleme (75MW).

Isaac Anyaogu is an Assistant editor and head of the energy and environment desk. He is an award-winning journalist who has written hundreds of reports on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, energy and environmental policies, regulation and climate change impacts in Africa. He was part of a journalist team that investigated lead acid pollution by an Indian recycler in Nigeria and won the international prize - Fetisov Journalism award in 2020. Mr Anyaogu joined BusinessDay in January 2016 as a multimedia content producer on the energy desk and rose to head the desk in October 2020 after several ground breaking stories and multiple award wining stories. His reporting covers start-ups, companies and markets, financing and regulatory policies in the power sector, oil and gas, renewable energy and environmental sectors He has covered the Niger Delta crises, and corruption in NIgeria’s petroleum product imports. He left the Audit and Consulting firm, OR&C Consultants in 2015 after three years to write for BusinessDay and his background working with financial statements, audit reports and tax consulting assignments significantly benefited his reporting. Mr Anyaogu studied mass communications and Media Studies and has attended several training programmes in Ghana, South Africa and the United States

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