The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Jennifer Adighije, has disclosed that the company has deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered predictive maintenance systems across its generation assets to improve operational efficiency, reduce equipment failures and enhance electricity supply reliability.

Adighije made this known during an engagement with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), where she highlighted the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in transforming operations within Nigeria’s power sector, particularly across NDPHC’s power plants.
 
According to her, the integration of advanced digital technologies has significantly improved efficiency, reliability and performance across the company’s generation assets.
 
“We have moved beyond preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance,” Adighije said.
 She explained that, unlike preventive maintenance, which relies on scheduled servicing irrespective of the condition of equipment, predictive maintenance uses real-time data analytics, machine learning algorithms and sensor-based monitoring to assess equipment health and forecast faults with greater precision.

According to her, the technology enables engineers and plant operators to identify potential equipment failures before they occur, allowing the company to prevent unexpected breakdowns.

Adighije said the deployment of AI tools represents a major shift from conventional maintenance practices to intelligent, data-driven systems capable of supporting real-time operational decision-making.

She noted that the transition is particularly critical for NDPHC’s fleet of gas-fired turbines and associated balance-of-plant systems, where equipment reliability has a direct impact on electricity generation and grid stability.

By leveraging AI, she explained, plant operators can continuously monitor turbine performance, fuel efficiency, vibration levels, thermal behaviour and component wear, enabling early intervention before faults develop into major equipment failures.
 
According to her, the innovation is helping the company optimise plant availability, improve generation efficiency and strengthen the reliability of electricity supply to consumers.

Adighije further stated that emerging technologies, including AI, automation and digital analytics, would play an increasingly important role as Nigeria modernises its energy infrastructure and tackles long-standing challenges in the electricity sector, such as inadequate generation, transmission constraints, technical losses and system instability.