Mambilla Power Project: Nigeria Wins $680m ICC Arbitration Case Against Sunrise Power
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that Nigeria has won an international arbitration case instituted by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited over the development of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
An International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris issued its award on Thursday, September 17, 2026, rejecting the claims brought by Sunrise against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Sunrise had demanded $680 million as a settlement sum and interest in connection with another arbitration in which it is seeking more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest over disputes relating to the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
In a statement, President Tinubu described the ruling as a major victory for Nigeria and said it demonstrated the government’s determination to resist what it characterised as exploitative claims against the country.
The President commended Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice for their efforts in defending Nigeria’s interests.
He also praised the country’s defence team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for their handling of the arbitration.
President Tinubu further acknowledged the contributions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who testified in the case.
According to the President, the dispute dates back to a 2003 contract for the construction of a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer arrangement. He said the contract was never authorised by the Federal Executive Council.
Former Ministers Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and Suleiman Adamu, as well as other witnesses and experts, were also commended for their participation in the defence of Nigeria.
President Tinubu acknowledged the support of the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which investigated the matter.
The President said Nigeria remained committed to working with genuine investors and fulfilling its legal obligations, while pledging that the government would continue to defend the country against claims it considers opportunistic.
He said the ICC ruling had removed what he described as the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had stalled the Mambilla hydropower project for years.
