NDPHC starts work to end 15-year blackout in Rigasa, Kaduna
- The Niger Delta Power Holding Company has begun building lines and a substation in Rigasa, Igabi LGA of Kaduna State.
- Kaduna's deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, performed the groundbreaking on Friday for Governor Uba Sani.
- Residents and businesses in the community have gone 15 years without steady electricity, according to the company.
Residents of Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State may soon see steady electricity again after 15 years without it. The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) has started work on the infrastructure meant to restore supply to the community.
The company announced the project in a statement issued by its General Manager, Corporate Communication and External Relations, Nazo Agim. The groundbreaking held on Friday, 23 October 2026.
Kaduna State Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe performed the ceremony on behalf of Governor Uba Sani. She described the intervention as life-saving, saying it would finally address the area's long power problem.
What is being built
The work covers a 7.5MVA, 33/11kV injection substation, a 2km 11kV line and a 1.5km 33kV line. Together, the company said, they will strengthen distribution and improve supply to homes and businesses in Rigasa.
NDPHC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Engr. Jennifer Adighije said the company remains committed to ending the community's electricity crisis. She spoke through the Executive Director, Networks, Engr. Bello Babayo Bello.
Adighije noted that NDPHC's main job is generating power, but it also steps into transmission and distribution where gaps are critical. She said the Rigasa project is a worthwhile investment that should ease hardship and show what targeted infrastructure can do in underserved areas.
The project was facilitated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG). Its convener, Comrade Bamidele Atoyebi, pushed the community's case to NDPHC management until the company agreed to take it on, according to the statement.
NDPHC Executive Director, Strategy and Commercial, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon thanked the Kaduna State Government and the community for their cooperation. The District Head of Rigasa, Hakimi Arc. Mohammed Aminu Idris, also praised the company for extending electricity access to the area.
Others at the ceremony included Senator Shehu Sani; the Managing Director and CEO of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Dr Umar Abubakar Hashidu; NDPHC General Manager, Distribution, Engr. Dahiru Muritala Mohammed, whose department handles the project; and Atoyebi.
Why it matters
Fifteen years without reliable power means many small businesses in Rigasa have had to run generators or close early. Tailors, welders, barbers and frozen-food sellers spend heavily on fuel, and students struggle to study at night.
Steady supply would cut those costs and could help businesses stay open longer. It would also make life easier for households that currently pay for fuel or candles.
The sources did not say how much the project will cost or when it is expected to be completed. NDPHC said the work is part of its push to close distribution gaps and support better living standards in underserved communities across the country.
