The Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations of the House of Representatives has praised the Niger Delta Power Holding Company for maintaining excellent safety protocols at its 565-megawatt Calabar Power Plant located in Odukpani, Cross River State.
Lawmakers presented the recognition on Monday while conducting an on-site evaluation of the facility, highlighting substantial progress since their previous visit in 2018, as stated in a release issued on Tuesday by Emmanuel Ojor, Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations at NDPHC.
The head of the Committee, David Zacharias, who headed the delegation, stated that the visit was part of continuous initiatives aimed at securing safe working conditions, enhancing occupational health, and encouraging long-term employment for Nigerian workers in various sectors.
“We consistently value it when we visit an organization and notice that they have performed exceptionally well. My perception here is favorable, and my colleagues agree,” Zacharias stated. He commended the commitment of the plant’s employees, highlighting that employee safety is vital to the government’s economic goals and the general efficiency of the power industry.
Nevertheless, he mentioned that the trip also sought to emphasize regions that still required enhancement.
“We encountered difficulties that we will inform the government about. We hope that during our next visit, these problems will have been resolved,” he added.
Key suggestions from the committee involved enhancements to the workplace, such as improved illumination in critical parts of the facility, the creation of break areas for employees working shifts, and updated office furniture to improve employee well-being.
The evaluation team comprised Harrison Nwadike, Suleiman Gumi, Kalejaiye Adeboye, El-Rasheed Abdullahi, and Emmanuel Udo. The legislators were shown around the facility by the NDPHC Chief Operating Officer, Ayoade Olanrewaju. Following the visit, they referred to the Calabar plant as among the top in the nation regarding safety regulations and work environment standards.
During the visit, Valerie Agberagba, the NDPHC’s General Manager for Generation Projects and representative of the company’s Executive Director for Generation, Abdullahi Kassim, pledged the organization’s steadfast dedication to safety and adherence to regulations.
“This trip was enlightening. In comparison to the 2018 report, there has been significant progress in adherence, indicating that NDPHC places importance on safety, rules, and environmental guidelines,” she stated.
Agberagba promised that the company would quickly handle the committee’s most recent comments, emphasizing that employee well-being is crucial to NDPHC’s activities. “If our employees aren’t in good working conditions, we won’t be able to get the best from them. We will make sure these issues are resolved quickly,” she stated.
Additionally, Austin Ijagem, the Acting Head of Health, Safety, and Environment at NDPHC, emphasized the plant’s impressive safety performance. He mentioned that there have been no work-related deaths since the operations commenced, which he credited to the company’s rigorous compliance with global safety standards.
“In 2018, the committee highlighted multiple safety issues, but now they have recognized that most have been addressed. We are nearly at zero outstanding safety concerns,” Ijagem stated.
The recognition by lawmakers highlights NDPHC’s rising status as a pioneer in workplace safety within Nigeria’s energy industry. The Calabar Power Plant, which is included in the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), holds a crucial position in Nigeria’s electricity distribution network, supplying hundreds of megawatts to the national grid.
Thanks to the new guarantees provided by both the committee and the company’s leadership, investors are hopeful that additional progress will keep the facility at the forefront of safety and efficiency within Nigeria’s energy sector.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
