President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Jennifer Adighije as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and as she officially takes over from Chiedu Ugbo on Monday, Adighije steps into a role of significant responsibility, tasked with driving one of Nigeria’s most critical power organizations forward. With a background that spans telecommunications, engineering, and entrepreneurship, her journey to the top of the power sector is as dynamic as it is unconventional.
Born on April 15, 1983, Jennifer Adighije hails from Abia State. She is the daughter of Chris Adighije, a former senator representing Abia Central, who has since become a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While her father’s political influence may have shaped her early environment, Adighije carved out her own identity, blending technical expertise with entrepreneurial flair.
Jennifer Adighije earned her B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Lagos and followed it up with an M.Sc. in Wireless Networks and Telecommunications from Queen Mary University of London. After returning to Nigeria in 2006, she began her career as a transmission maintenance engineer at the now-defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), marking her entry into the power sector.
However, her career path soon took a turn into telecommunications when she joined Globacom as an NSS specialist. She later held the role of Head of Operations and Planning at Helios Towers Nigeria, a telecom infrastructure company. Despite an unceremonious exit from Helios in 2010, after which she successfully sued the company for wrongful termination, Adighije’s resilience and drive propelled her to new heights.
Her pivot into fashion came in 2009 with the founding of House of Silk (HOS), a fabric retail and tailoring company that reflected her lifelong passion for fashion and craftsmanship. Jennifer’s creative talents were recognized when she emerged as a finalist in the Young Designer Category of the MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week Awards in 2012. This venture marked a significant chapter in her life as a “fashionpreneur,” while also showcasing her ability to straddle multiple industries with ease.
A Return to Public Service and Power
Despite her entrepreneurial success, Jennifer Adighije returned to public service, taking on a strategic role at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2018 as a value engineer and cost controller. Her work here underscored her expertise in project management and procurement, essential skills that she would later bring to her new role at NDPHC.
In September 2023, Adighije was appointed as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Tinubu, focusing on entrepreneurship development in communications, innovation, and the digital economy. Under the guidance of Minister Bosun Tijani, she advised on critical matters related to Nigeria’s digital transformation, ensuring that the country’s youth are not left behind in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
A New Chapter at NDPHC
As Jennifer Adighije assumes the role of NDPHC MD/CEO, she will become the third leader in the company’s history. While her predecessors—James Olotu and Chiedu Ugbo—brought decades of experience in power generation and reform, Adighije offers a fresh perspective. Unlike Ugbo, an electric energy law specialist with over 30 years of experience in power reform and privatization, Adighije’s leadership experience lies outside traditional power-sector boundaries. Her varied career, which includes engineering, telecoms, and entrepreneurship, provides a unique blend of skills that could steer NDPHC in new directions.
Critics may point to her lack of direct leadership experience within the power sector, but Adighije’s supporters believe that her background in systems management, coupled with her hands-on expertise in engineering and public sector project management, will enable her to excel. At a time when Nigeria’s power sector requires innovative solutions, her tech-savvy and entrepreneurial mindset may be precisely what NDPHC needs to drive its agenda of reliable electricity generation and distribution.
A Passion for Digital Inclusion
Beyond her professional achievements, Adighije is a humanitarian at heart. She is a patron of the Digi-Tech Empowerment Foundation for Youths, a platform dedicated to fostering digital inclusion for young Nigerians. Adighije’s passion for bridging the digital divide reflects her broader vision for Nigeria—a country where access to technology and energy are foundational elements of development.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a registered practitioner under the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). In her personal life, she balances her professional commitments with a passion for cooking, reading, and contributing to social causes.
Looking Ahead: The Challenges and Opportunities
As Jennifer Adighije steps into this new chapter at NDPHC, she faces the daunting task of overseeing a company at the heart of Nigeria’s power generation and distribution. Her predecessors laid a solid foundation, with Chiedu Ugbo contributing extensively to the privatization and reform of the sector. Yet, Adighije brings something new to the table: a forward-looking approach that could integrate innovation and sustainable practices into the NDPHC’s operations.
Her appointment signals not just a continuation of the work already done but also a potential shift toward more innovative solutions. With her leadership, the NDPHC might explore greater synergies between technology and power, driving progress that benefits Nigeria’s millions of energy consumers.
