The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Jennifer Adighije, has underscored the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in transforming operations across Nigeria’s power sector, particularly within NDPHC’s generation assets.

Speaking during an engagement with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Adighije explained that the integration of advanced digital technologies is significantly improving efficiency, reliability, and performance across the company’s power plants.

According to Adighije, NDPHC has adopted AI-powered predictive maintenance systems that enable engineers and plant operators to detect potential equipment failures before they occur. This proactive approach allows the company to prevent unexpected breakdowns, reduce forced outages, and minimise maintenance-related costs.

She noted that the deployment of AI tools marks a major shift in operational strategy, moving from traditional maintenance models to more intelligent, data-driven systems capable of improving decision-making in real time.

“We have moved beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance,” Adighije said.

She explained that unlike preventive maintenance, which relies on scheduled servicing regardless of equipment condition, predictive maintenance uses real-time data analytics, machine learning algorithms, and sensor-based monitoring to assess equipment health and forecast faults with greater precision.

This technological transition is particularly significant for NDPHC’s fleet of gas-fired turbines and associated balance-of-plant systems, where equipment reliability directly impacts plant output and grid stability. By leveraging AI, plant operators can continuously monitor turbine performance, fuel efficiency, vibration levels, thermal behavior, and component wear, allowing intervention before faults escalate into costly failures.

Adighije emphasised that this innovation is helping NDPHC optimize plant availability, improve generation efficiency, and strengthen the reliability of electricity supply to consumers across the country.

She further stated that as Nigeria continues to modernize its energy infrastructure, the role of emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and digital analytics will become increasingly critical in addressing long-standing challenges in the power sector, including inadequate generation, transmission bottlenecks, technical losses, and system instability.

Industry experts believe AI-driven systems can play a crucial role in enhancing grid stability, improving asset management, reducing operational losses, and supporting the country’s transition toward a more resilient and sustainable energy future. Smart technologies can also improve demand forecasting, load balancing, and dispatch coordination across the electricity value chain.

With growing investments in digital transformation, Nigeria’s power sector is gradually embracing intelligent systems that could accelerate operational excellence, attract investment, and support long-term energy security.

Adighije reaffirmed that innovation will remain central to NDPHC’s strategy as the company seeks to deliver more efficient, reliable, and sustainable electricity generation in line with national development goals.

She noted that for a country with rising electricity demand and an expanding industrial base, technology adoption is no longer optional but essential to ensuring stable and affordable power supply. According to her, AI is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful tools for driving the next phase of growth and modernization in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

NDPHC, established under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), is one of Nigeria’s largest power generation and infrastructure companies, playing a critical role in bridging the country’s electricity supply gap. Beyond generation, NDPHC also serves as a major player in transmission and distribution infrastructure development. Through the NIPP framework, the company has delivered hundreds of transmission projects, including substations, transformers, switchgear installations, and transmission lines aimed at strengthening the national grid. It has also executed numerous distribution intervention projects to improve electricity delivery to homes, businesses, and industrial clusters across Nigeria.

• CPPE urges competitiveness reforms over import restrictions

The resolution by the Senate to ban outright importation of textile will put an industry valued at N10 trillion annually on the brink of collapse, including the livelihoods of an estimated 10 million Nigerians provided by the sector.

This was the submission of the Chief Executive Officer, Center for the Promoton of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, while reacting to the Senate’s resolution calling for a ban on textile fabric imports.

Noting that the proposed measure is unlikely to achieve its intended objectives and could have significant adverse consequences for the Nigerian economy, Yusuf said that instead, the Senate should consider reviving the textile industry, which requires a comprehensive value-chain approach rather than restrictive trade measures. To this end, priority he said, should be given to restoring domestic cotton production, which historically supplied the industry’s raw materials.

In a position paper made available to The Nation, yesterday, the CPPE boss, an economist, argued that while the objective of reviving the country’s textile industry is legitimate and commendable, an outright import prohibition is unlikely to achieve that objective.

Rather than revitalising the textile industry, he further argued, the proposed ban could impose substantial collateral costs on downstream industries, disrupt critical supply chains and jeopardise millions of jobs and livelihoods.

“The proposal reflects a narrow view of the textile industry’s challenges and overlooks the extensive linkages within Nigeria’s textile, garment, fashion, furniture and creative economy value chains. Effective industrial policy should address the underlying constraints to competitiveness rather than merely restrict imports,” Yusuf argued.

According to him, domestic textile manufacturers currently lack the capacity to meet the quantity, quality and diversity of fabrics required by Nigeria’s fashion, garment, interior design, and furniture industries. Even at the peak of the textile industry’s performance, he noted, local mills did not supply the full range of fabrics demanded by the market.

Therefore, he warned, an outright import ban would create supply shortages, increase production costs and weaken downstream industries that generate significantly more employment than textile manufacturing itself.

Further accentuating his position, the policy analyst reckons that a larger ecosystem will be put at risk should the Senate proposal scale through. According to him, the nation’s fashion, garment-making and tailoring industry, is conservatively valued at about ₦10 trillion, and presently provides livelihoods for an estimated 10 million Nigerians, making it one of the country’s most vibrant creative economy sectors.

“Textile fabrics are critical intermediate inputs for this ecosystem. Restricting imports would disrupt production, increase costs, reduce consumer choice and threaten thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises engaged in fashion, tailoring and garment manufacturing.

“The garment industry also generates substantial domestic value addition through design, tailoring, branding, embroidery, merchandising and retailing. In many cases, the local value added exceeds the value of the textile inputs. Public policy should therefore protect this broader value chain.

“Textile fabrics are equally important inputs for Nigeria’s rapidly growing furniture and interior design industry, where they are extensively used in upholstered furniture, office furniture, hotel furnishings and mattresses. The industry is valued at an estimated N7 trillion. A supply disruption would increase production costs and weaken the competitiveness of the sector,” Yusuf warned.

Noting that the real challenge for the industry is competitiveness, arising from the consequence of longstanding structural constraints rather than import competition. These, he listed to include high energy costs, expensive credit, poor infrastructure, logistics bottlenecks, obsolete technology, smuggling, weak access to long-term finance and policy inconsistency.

“Textile manufacturing is one of the most energy-intensive industries globally. Therefore, operating within a high-cost production environment has severely undermined the competitiveness of local manufacturers.

“It is noteworthy that imported textile fabrics already attract combined Import Duty and Import Adjustment Tax (IAT) of between 35 and 45 per cent. Yet these tariff protections have not restored the industry’s competitiveness because the core problem lies in production economics rather than import penetration.

“An import ban proposition addresses the symptom while leaving the underlying causes unresolved. Sustainable industry revival requires lower production costs, improved productivity and stronger enforcement of the existing tariff regime,” he said, adding that insecurity in farming communities, weak productivity, inadequate extension services and poor incentives have severely undermined cotton cultivation.

He further added that textile manufacturers also require access to affordable long-term finance, modern technology, reliable energy and a more competitive operating environment.

To reactivate the sector, Yusuf said that rather than an outright ban being mooted by the Senate, the federal government should adopt some policies that will stimulate the industry.

One of these is the adoption of a strategic government procurement policy which should require the military, paramilitary agencies, schools and other public institutions to prioritise locally produced textiles and garments for their uniforms. Besides, government, he said, should set up a textile competitiveness fund where it can channel part of textile-related import tax revenues into a dedicated fund providing single-digit financing for technology upgrading and industry modernisation.

Other policy consideration Yusuf urged the government to consider include reviving cotton production by supporting cotton farmers through improved seedlings, mechanisation, extension services, security and guaranteed off-take arrangements; strengthening border enforcement to combat smuggling aimed at improving the effectiveness of existing tariff protection and improving industrial competitiveness by reduce energy costs, improve infrastructure, lower financing costs and create a more conducive manufacturing environment.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania has held high level talks with President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on a major expansion of the Group’s investments in Tanzania, with discussions focusing on transport infrastructure, fertiliser production, power generation, ports and regional trade.

The meeting, held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between Tanzania and the Dangote Group while opening discussions on a new phase of investments aligned with the country’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.

Speaking after the meeting, Dangote said Tanzania remains one of Africa’s most attractive investment destinations, noting that the Group had identified several strategic sectors capable of delivering significant economic value.

“We have identified areas that can deliver significant value for Tanzania, and we are ready to work together to develop them for our mutual benefit,” he said.

The discussions covered a broad range of projects, including port development, the construction of a 40-kilometre concrete access road to support port operations, development of a special trade zone, a proposed 2,000-megawatt coal fired power plant, a urea fertiliser plant and transport infrastructure linking Mtwara with Mbamba Bay in southern Tanzania.

Dangote also explained the commercial and technical considerations behind the Group’s decision to locate its planned East African refinery in Lamu, Kenya, while extending an invitation to the Government of Tanzania to participate in the investment.

President Samia welcomed the Dangote Group’s continued confidence in Tanzania and directed relevant ministries and government agencies to commence detailed technical discussions on the proposed investments in line with the country’s legal, policy and development priorities.

She also appointed the Minister of Planning and Investment to coordinate the strategic partnership with Dangote Industries Limited, with both sides expected to begin formal negotiations in the coming days.

A Tanzanian government delegation led by the Minister is expected to visit Nigeria to advance discussions and develop implementation frameworks for the proposed projects.

According to a statement from the Directorate of Presidential Communications, the Government remains committed to strengthening partnerships with the private sector as part of efforts to mobilise productive investment, accelerate industrialisation, promote technology transfer, and create sustainable employment opportunities.

Dangote Industries already operates one of Tanzania’s largest industrial investments through its $500 million cement plant in Mtwara, which has an annual production capacity of three million tonnes and supplies both the domestic market and neighbouring countries.

The latest engagement deepens the partnership between Tanzania and the Dangote Group and reinforces the company’s position as one of Africa’s leading private sector investors driving regional industrialisation, infrastructure development, and economic integration.