The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris has dismissed Sunrise Power’s claims against the Federal Government. The ruling clears a long-standing legal hurdle. The hurdle surrounded the 1,500MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
Mambilla has been on the books since the 1970s. In 1982, the government announced plans for a 3,050MW complex in Taraba State. Successive administrations promised delivery. None came. In 2017, the government awarded a $5.8 billion contract to a consortium involving Sunrise Power and China’s Sinohydro. Sunrise later claimed the award was improperly handled. It took the dispute to the ICC. The arbitration ran for years. It held up financing and construction.
The tribunal dismissed Sunrise’s claims. The decision removes the arbitration risk that hung over the project. The government can now proceed with procurement and financing without the threat of an adverse award. The project is the largest hydropower scheme in Nigeria’s pipeline. It would add 1,500MW to a grid that struggles to deliver 4,000MW. That is a significant addition. It is also a long way from construction. Mambilla requires roads, transmission lines and resettlement. The government has not disclosed a revised timeline. The ruling is a legal win. It is not a power plant.
The project’s history warns against optimism. Mambilla has survived multiple groundbreakings. In 2018, the government announced a start date. Nothing happened. In 2021, the project was listed in the presidential power initiative. It remained stalled. The ICC ruling removes one obstacle. Others remain.
Winners: The Federal Government, which gains legal certainty. The Ministry of Power, which can revive the project. Chinese contractors, who may bid again. Taraba State, which could gain jobs and infrastructure. Losers: Sunrise Power, which loses its claims. Nigerian taxpayers, if the project stalls again. Consumers, who wait for power. The grid, which remains under pressure.
Bottom Line: The ICC has cleared the way. Mambilla still needs money, political will and transmission. The ruling is a start, not a switch.