By BONIFACE AKARAH

Nigeria has secured a major victory in the long-running legal dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project after an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris ruled in favour of the Federal Government and rejected claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.

In a statement dated September 17, 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the tribunal had rejected Sunrise Power's claims, including a demand for $680 million in settlement and interest linked to a separate arbitration in which the company is seeking more than $2.7 billion over disputes surrounding the Mambilla project in Taraba State.

The Mambilla project was originally conceived as a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant, while the Presidency's statement refers to the project in its later form as a 3,960MW development. The dispute dates back to a 2003 agreement which President Tinubu said was never authorised by the Federal Executive Council.

"This latest decision affirms the Nigerian State's determination not to succumb to predatory and exploitative claims by corrupt local and international entities and their enablers and funders," Tinubu said.

The President said the ruling represented a major step forward for the long-delayed power project, which has been entangled in legal disputes for years.

"Today's ICC ruling clears the single biggest legal hurdle that has paralysed the Mambilla hydro power project for years," he stated.

Details of the award reported after the ruling show that the tribunal also rejected Sunrise's claim for $400 million, comprising a $200 million settlement sum and another $200 million claimed as a default payment. It further held that Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya was bound by the arbitration agreement and that it had jurisdiction over Nigeria's counterclaim against him and his firm.

The tribunal also ordered Sunrise Power and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria 75 per cent of its legal fees and expenses, which were put at about $11.82 million.

Tinubu commended Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi and officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice for their handling of the case.

"I strongly commend the tremendous efforts of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi and the entire team at the Federal Ministry of Justice for their efforts in this matter," the President said.

He also praised Nigeria's defence team led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, describing their work as a professional and effective defence of the country's interests.

Tinubu further acknowledged the participation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who testified in the case.

According to the President, the dispute was connected to a 2003 contract for the construction of a hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer arrangement, but "the Federal Executive Council never authorised the contract."

He also commended former Ministers Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and Suleiman Adamu, other witnesses and experts who participated in the arbitration.

The President thanked the National Security Adviser for his support and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its investigation into the matter.

Tinubu said the Federal Government remained willing to work with legitimate investors while defending the country's interests in international disputes. "While our country remains committed to partnering with genuine investors and honouring its legal obligations, it will continue to defend all opportunistic claims instituted against our commonwealth strongly," he said.

The ICC decision now removes a major legal obstacle that had been hanging over the Mambilla project, one of Nigeria's long-discussed major hydropower developments.