Generation of power in Nigeria started in 1886 with two (2) generating sets installed to serve the then Colony of Lagos. By an Act of Parliament in 1951, The Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) was established in 1951 by Act of Parliament. In 1962, the Niger Dams Authority (NDA) was also established for the development of hydroelectric power. The 2 organizations were merged of the two in 1972 leading to the establishment of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). NEPA was saddled with the responsibility of generating, transmitting and distributing electricity across the country. Electric Power Sector Reform Act was enacted in 2005, leading to the renaming of NEPA to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), and unbundling of the power sector.
The Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act was signed into law in March 2005, enabling private companies to participate in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. The government unbundled PHCN into eleven electricity distribution companies (DisCos), six generating companies (GenCos), and a transmission company (TCN). The Act also created the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as an independent regulator for the sector.
National Integrated Power Project
In the generation sub-sector, NDPHC constructed ten (10) gas fired power stations in different parts of the country under the National Integrated Power Project. The NIPP power stations have the capacity to generate about 4,774MW of power to the national grid.
The NIPP power stations have either been privatised or sold to interested investors in order to increase private sector participation in the sector to achieve aims and objectives of the reform programme of the government.
National Integrated Power Project Power Plants
The NIPP stations are:
- Alaoji (1,074MW) in Abia State,
- Benin (Ihovbor) (451MW) in Edo State,
- Calabar (563MW) in Cross River State,
- Egbema ( 338 MW) in Imo State,
- Gbarain (225 MW) in Bayelsa State
- Geregu (434 MW) in Kogi State
- Olorunsogo in Ogun State
- Omotosho (451 MW) in Ondo State
- Omoku ( 225MW) in Rivers State
- Sapele (Ogorode) in Delta State