Lagos, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- THE Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies across its power plants to improve operational efficiency, reduce forced outages and lower maintenance costs, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Adighije, has said.
The move signals a growing shift toward digital transformation in Nigeria’s electricity sector as operators increasingly adopt intelligent technologies to improve power generation and grid reliability.
Speaking during an engagement with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Adighije said NDPHC has transitioned from conventional preventive maintenance to AI-powered predictive maintenance, allowing engineers to identify equipment faults before they result in plant failures.
“We have moved beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance,” she said. “This allows us to detect potential faults in real time, reduce forced outages and significantly cut maintenance costs.”
According to her, the deployment of AI and machine learning is enhancing the performance of the company’s fleet of gas-fired power plants by enabling continuous monitoring of turbine operations, fuel efficiency, vibration levels, thermal performance and component wear.
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The data-driven approach allows plant operators to intervene early, preventing costly equipment failures, improving plant availability and strengthening grid stability.
NDPHC, one of Nigeria’s largest power infrastructure companies, was established under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) to bridge the country’s electricity supply gap. In addition to electricity generation, the company has delivered numerous transmission and distribution projects, including substations, transformers, switchgear installations and other grid infrastructure aimed at improving power supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Industry experts say wider adoption of AI and machine learning could help address several structural challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector, including low generation efficiency, transmission constraints, technical losses and system instability.
The technologies are also expected to improve electricity demand forecasting, load balancing, asset management and grid dispatch, enabling operators to optimise resources while reducing operating costs.
Adighije stressed that embracing digital technologies has become essential as electricity demand continues to grow alongside Nigeria’s expanding industrial and commercial sectors.
She said innovation will remain central to NDPHC’s operational strategy as the company seeks to improve reliability, enhance efficiency and support Nigeria’s long-term energy security and economic development objectives.
The adoption of AI-driven operational systems also reflects a broader trend across the global energy industry, where utilities are increasingly investing in digital technologies to improve asset performance, attract investment and accelerate the transition to smarter, more resilient electricity networks.
