NDPHC names two executive directors in leadership overhaul

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company has appointed two new executive directors; a move its chief executive says will sharpen the state-owned utility’s strategy and speed up delivery of its power infrastructure targets.

Jennifer Adighije, managing director and CEO of NDPHC, said Patrick Obahiagbon has been named executive director, strategy and commercial, while Chukwuma Umeoji takes the role of executive director, corporate services. The appointments were made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The appointments form part of NDPHC’s commitment to reinforcing corporate governance, improving operational efficiency, and delivering on its mandate to expand electricity generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure across Nigeria,” Adighije said.

The reshuffle comes as NDPHC, which operates a fleet of gas-fired power plants built under Nigeria’s National Integrated Power Project, works to convert idle or underused generation capacity into reliable output for a grid that has long struggled with supply gaps. Adighije said the new hires would help “unlock stranded generation assets” and strengthen transmission and distribution networks that feed off the company’s plants.

She framed the appointments as evidence of the federal government’s intent to reposition the company for stronger performance. “The appointments also reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to reposition NDPHC for enhanced performance and drive reforms aimed at improving electricity supply nationwide,” she said.

Adighije thanked Tinubu for selecting what she called experienced professionals with proven competence, and said their track record would support the company’s push to deliver sustainable value across the power sector.

Obahiagbon and Umeoji join an existing executive management team that Adighije said will benefit from their combined expertise in strategic planning, commercial operations, stakeholder engagement and institutional effectiveness. She described the moves as another milestone in NDPHC’s ongoing transformation agenda, adding that leadership cohesion and teamwork remain central to executing the company’s priorities.

“Effective leadership, teamwork, and collaboration remain critical to achieving NDPHC’s strategic priorities, particularly as the company continues to improve electricity generation, expand transmission capacity, strengthen distribution networks, and unlock stranded generation assets,” she said.

She tied the appointments to the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Tinubu administration’s economic policy framework, saying the new directors’ experience would complement the current team and bolster the company’s ability to meet its mandate under that program.

Adighije said the expanded leadership bench is expected to improve decision-making, encourage innovation and deepen investor and stakeholder confidence, while accelerating execution of power projects already in the pipeline.

Looking ahead, she said the changes would help position NDPHC as a leading player in Nigeria’s power sector reform effort, with a focus on making electricity supply more reliable and resilient — outcomes she linked to the country’s broader push for economic growth and industrial expansion.

NDPHC, jointly owned by Nigeria’s federal, state and local governments, has been a central vehicle for the country’s power generation buildout since its creation, though output from its plants has often been constrained by gas supply shortages and transmission bottlenecks.