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Nigeria has won an arbitration case at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) after a Paris tribunal rejected claims brought against the government by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
The decision, issued on September 17, 2026, concerns a dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State, one of Nigeria’s major planned power infrastructure projects.
Sunrise had filed a claim seeking $680 million in settlement and interest linked to a separate arbitration where it is demanding more than $2.7 billion in compensation over disputes surrounding the development of the 3,960-megawatt hydroelectric project.
In a statement on Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the ruling was a significant victory for Nigeria, describing it as a rejection of what he called “predatory and exploitative claims” against the country.
“Today’s ICC ruling clears the single biggest legal hurdle that has paralysed the Mambilla hydro power project for years,” Tinubu said.
The President commended Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, as well as officials from the Federal Ministry of Justice, for their role in defending Nigeria’s position during the proceedings.
He also praised Nigeria’s legal defence team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for what he described as their professional conduct in the case.
Tinubu acknowledged the contributions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, both of whom testified during the proceedings. He said the dispute stemmed from a 2003 contract to build a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant under a build-operate-transfer model, which he said the Federal Executive Council never approved.
The President also thanked former ministers Babatunde Raji Fashola and Suleiman Adamu, alongside other witnesses and experts who participated in the arbitration.
He said Nigeria remains open to genuine investment partnerships and is committed to meeting its legal obligations, but will continue to defend itself against claims it considers unjustified.
The government said the ruling removes a major obstacle that has delayed progress on the long-standing Mambilla hydropower project.
