Nigeria has secured a major victory in an international arbitration dispute over the long-delayed Mambilla hydroelectric power project in Taraba State, with an arbitration tribunal under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris dismissing claims valued at about $3.38 billion.
President Bola Tinubu disclosed this in a statement signed on Thursday, September 17, 2026, saying the tribunal ruled in favour of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in proceedings involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
According to the statement, Sunrise had sought $680 million in settlement and interest in one arbitration, while a separate claim exceeded $2.7 billion in compensation and interest over disputes connected to the proposed 3,960-megawatt Mambilla hydroelectric project.
Tinubu said the outcome demonstrated Nigeria’s resolve to protect its national interests against what he described as “predatory and exploitative claims by corrupt local and international entities and their enablers and funders.”
The President commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice for their role in the case.
He also praised Nigeria’s defence team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for their handling of the arbitration proceedings.
Tinubu further acknowledged the contributions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who testified during the proceedings.
The President said the dispute originated from a 2003 contract for the construction of a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric power plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer arrangement. He noted that the contract was never approved by the Federal Executive Council.
He also appreciated former Ministers of Power, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and Suleiman Adamu, alongside other witnesses and experts who participated in the proceedings.
Tinubu commended the National Security Adviser for his support and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its investigation into the matter.
The President reiterated that Nigeria remained open to genuine investment and committed to meeting its legal obligations but would continue to defend the country’s interests against claims it considers opportunistic.
He said the ICC tribunal’s decision had removed what he described as the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had stalled the Mambilla hydro-power project for years.
