The Niger Delta Power Holding Company is urging factories and other heavy power users to take advantage of its Eligible Customer Programme, a scheme that allows large businesses to buy electricity straight from generation companies instead of relying solely on the national grid.

The initiative, first rolled out in 2017 and improved last year, is designed to give manufacturers and commercial clusters access to more reliable and cost-efficient power. Under the programme, approved customers can receive between six and 20 megawatts of electricity through negotiated agreements and flexible tariff structures.

NDPHC says it currently has more than 2,000MW of unused capacity and wants to channel part of that directly to bulk consumers as a way of boosting revenue and supporting Nigeria’s industrial sector.

Managing Director and CEO, Jennifer Adighije, described the initiative as a practical route to improve productivity for manufacturers. She pointed to existing beneficiaries, such as Phoenix Steel Mills, as proof that steady power can reduce operating costs and enhance output.

Adighije added that the company is expanding discussions with industrial hubs across the country to bring more participants on board. She also explained that NDPHC is developing embedded and bilateral power solutions for cases where the national grid cannot move power efficiently, stressing that overdependence on the centralised market is no longer viable due to persistent liquidity and payment issues.

According to her, the company has spent the past year identifying major consumers capable of meeting cost-reflective tariffs under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s eligibility framework. The goal, she said, is to prioritise direct power sales to credible off-takers, create a more stable revenue base, and reduce the firm’s exposure to the financial challenges affecting the wider electricity market.