Nigeria’s energy landscape is a dynamic blend of hydroelectric and gas-fired thermal power plants, each playing a pivotal role in powering the nation.
These plants are the backbone of Nigeria’s power sector, driving the country’s energy ambitions forward.
Here’s a quick look at the top 10 power plants in Nigeria, ranked by their installed capacity, alongside key information about their CEOs.
1. Egbin power plant
Egbin Thermal Power Plant is a proud showcase for ‘best in class’ operational and performance standards within the sub-Saharan power sector with a state-of-the-art facility housing six steam turbines with an overall installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts and currently working on projects geared towards enhancing this capacity through new technology and alternative energy sources.
CEO: Mokhtar Bounour was appointed CEO of Egbin Power in September 2022.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in management, leadership, business administration, and international relations.
With 24 years of experience across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, Mr. Bounour has led operations in power generation, fertilizers plants, and business development. He previously served as CEO of Fertial in Spain and as Business Development Director for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.
2. Sapele power plant
Sapele Thermal Power Plant is a leading Nigerian integrated energy company specializing in power generation.
SPP operates Nigeria’s second largest power plant by installed capacity of 1020 MW; capable of meeting the energy needs of around 750,000 homes at full capacity.
SPP generates a considerable amount of Nigeria’s electricity — powering numerous homes and businesses nationwide. We have a strong focus on sustainable generation and are continually seeking to expand our generation network, as well as make efficiencies, and minimise environmental impacts.
The CEO of the plant is Gurtej Sra.
Sra is based in Nigeria, is currently a Chief Executive Officer at Sapele Power Plc, Delta State, Nigeria.
Gurtej Sra holds a B.E Mechanical and later Electrical in Power Plants at Panjabi University Patiala Panjab, India – B.E. (Hons) in 1971.
3. Afam power plant
Afam Thermal Power Plant is the newest and biggest of the FIPL’s projects. It is made up of 2 phases. The contract for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the first and second phases were awarded in 2010 and 2011 respectively to Saipem, a subsidiary of the Italian Oil giant, Eni.
At present, Phase 1 is operational with an installed GE (formerly Alstom) GT13E2 gas turbine of 180MW capacity, exporting an average of 3500MWH per day into the national grid. The expectation is that phase 2 of the same type of unit would be installed and come online before the end of 2019. Natural gas for the operation of the Afam turbine is supplied from Shell Nigeria.
Afam is located in Oyigbo LGA of Rivers State.
Installed Capacity: 987.2 MW
CEO: Vincent Ozoude is the MD/CEO of Trans Afam Power Ltd, a Transcorp Consortium company. In 2020, Transcorp Group acquired Afam Power Plc and Afam III Fast Power Ltd in Rivers State, Nigeria. The Transcorp Power Consortium was the preferred bidder for the acquisition, with a bid price of N105.3 billion.
Afam is a power generation hub in the Oyigbo LGA of Rivers State, with four power plants.
4. Ughelli power plant
Ughelli Thermal Power Plant is a gas-fired thermal plant located in Ughelli, Delta State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It is the largest fossil-fuel based power-generating station in the country. The plant has an installed capacity of 972 MW and is capable of generating 2,500 GWh of electricity annually.
CEO: Peter Ikenga is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Power Plc, a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp).
In this role, he is dedicated to transforming the Ughelli Power Plant into a leading power generation company, focusing on operational excellence and innovation. Under his leadership, Transcorp Power has demonstrated resilience and achieved significant results in the Nigerian power sector.
Prior to his current position, Ikenga held various roles in the energy industry, contributing to his extensive experience in power generation and management. He is known for his commitment to operational excellence and innovation in the power sector.
Transcorp Power Plc is a key player in Nigeria’s energy sector, operating the Ughelli Power Plant, a gas-fired thermal plant located in Delta State with an installed capacity of 972 MW. The plant was acquired by Transcorp Group in 2013 as part of Nigeria’s power sector privatization efforts.
5. Kainji power plant
Kainji Hydroelectric Power Plant is located in Borgu LGA of Niger State. Kainji Dam comprises the civil dam structure, the gated spillway, the hydroelectric turbine and generators, and a navigation lock, with monitoring and control systems to all these.
Kainji powerhouse is equipped with eight turbine-alternator groups including four Kaplan type rated at 80 MW, two Kaplan type rated at 100 MW and two propeller turbines rated at120 MW. The available head ranges between 23.8 m and 41.2 m according to the water level in the reservoir. Provision was made for a further four turbines in the dam structure but these were never installed.
CEO: Engr. Lamu Audu was appointed CEO of Kainji Hydroelectric Power Plant in October 2013. He holds a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maiduguri, along with an OND and HND in Mechanical Engineering from Ramat College of Technology, Maiduguri, and Kaduna Polytechnic, respectively.
Following the privatization of the electricity sector, he was named MD/CEO of Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, the successor company managing Kainji and Jebba Hydro Power assets, in October 2013.
6. Olorunsogo power plant
Olorunsogo thermal power plant Phase 1 is in Ogun State Nigeria.
The Olorunsogo Power Generation Station operates on open cycle gas turbine using natural gas as its fuel source. The Power Project was officially commissioned on 27th May 2007 under the defunct Power Holding Company Nigeria (PHCN).
Pacific Energy Company Limited acquired and took over Olorunsogo Power Generation Plant on 3rd March 2014. The station has eight (8) GE frame 6B (model -PG6581B) machines manufactured by Nanjing Turbine under GE license. The machines net capacity at site conditions is 304MW(AMBIENT).
Post privatization, availability rose from two (2) units to eight (8) units following massive investment on Combustion Inspections (CI), Hot Gas Path Inspections (HGPI), Major Inspection (MI), enhanced spare parts inventory levels and balance of plant. The company has fifteen departments with robust manpower resource.
The current CEO of the plant Engr. Jennifer Adighije.
Adighije is the Managing Director/CEO of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), owners of the Olorunsogo Power Plant in Ogun State. NDPHC, a joint venture of Nigeria’s federal, state, and local governments, operates power plants under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), established in 2004 to address electricity shortages.
In 2018, Adighije joined the Central Bank of Nigeria as a Value Engineer and Cost Controller in the Procurement Department. She was appointed SSA to the Nigerian President in September 2023 before assuming her current role at NDPHC.
7. Shiroro power plant
Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant of the Kaduna River in Niger State, Nigeria. It has a power generating capacity of 600 megawatts (800,000 hp), enough to power over 404,000 homes.
There are four hydraulic turbines, four generators, gates and hoists, plant auxiliaries including a powerhouse portable water treatment plant, sewage treatment plan, lubricating oil treatment plant, one chlorination plant, two flood control pumps, and reservoir management equipment. All of these should be best secured.
The CEO of the plant is Emmanuel Katepa.
Katepa is a Fellow of the Engineering Institution of Zambia, a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) UK. He has a graduate degree from Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Augsburg and an MBA from Copperbelt University.
In January 2023, Katepa said that CEC Africa wanted to renegotiate its agreement with the Nigerian government.
8. Jebba power plant
Jebba Hydroelectric Power Plant is located between Niger and Kwara State.
Jebba dam is an earth and rockfill and is coupled with several auxiliary dams and infrastructure. The main dam is located to the south and its imperviousness is secured by an upstream blanket. It is followed by a lock and the auxiliary concrete dams 4, 3 and 2.
The powerhouse is equipped with six turbines and six turbine-alternator groups. Each of the propeller turbines is rated at 96.4 MW for a net head and 102 MW at maximum output. The total nominal power installed is 578 MW.
The CEO of the plant is Engr. Lamu Audu and was appointed in August 2011. He holds a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maiduguri, as well as an OND and HND in Mechanical Engineering from Ramat College of Technology, Maiduguri, and Kaduna Polytechnic, respectively.
Engr. Lamu began his career in 1986 with the Borno State Ministry of Works and Housing after completing his NYSC with WRECA in Kano. He joined the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) as Manager (Mechanical) in April 1996.
Over the years, he undertook various professional courses, including the NEPA Pupil Engineer/Technologist Development Programme, supervised training at Shiroro and Egbin Power Stations, and a Management Development Programme facilitated by Accenture.
9. Omotosho power plant
Omotosho Thermal Power Plant II is an operating power station of at least 512-megawatts (MW) in Omotosho, Ondo, Nigeria with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
The Omotosho plant, located in Okitipupa, Ondo State, is an open-cycle gas turbine facility with a capacity of 512.8 MW (ISO) and 451 MW (Net). It is operated by the Omotosho Generation Company Limited.
John Ayodele is the CEO of the plant, a seasoned electrical engineer. With extensive experience in the power sector, he has been instrumental in addressing challenges related to electricity distribution and advocating for the grooming of young engineers to bridge the skills gap in the industry.
10. Geregu power plant
Geregu Thermal Power Plant is pioneering progress and possibility, by providing the right infrastructure and expertise to build a robust sustainable power generation structure across Nigeria.
Acquired in 2013, with generating plants in Ajaokuta, Geregu is one of Nigeria’s leading GENCOs that uses gas turbine as a clean energy source to generate power.
Location: Kogi State
Installed Capacity: 435 MW
The CEO of the plant is Mr. Akin Akinfemiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Geregu Power Plc and he is responsible for the overall strategic leadership, direction and expansion for the business. He coordinates the formulation, review and implementation of the organization’s strategy, goals and objectives.
Akin serves as a Director on the Board of Amperion Power Distribution Limited and Geregu Power Plc.
He was previously Group CEO of Forte Oil Plc, a leading public listed downstream Oil & Gas company in Nigeria with over 450 retail outlets spread across Nigeria for 8 years where he led the company.