Nigeria wins Sunrise arbitration, clearing path for Mambilla Power Project
Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi declared Nigeria will not be a soft target for predatory litigation, reacting to the country's victory in the International Chamber of Commerce arbitration in Paris on 17 September. The tribunal rejected Sunrise Power and Transmission Company's claim for $400 million plus interest, found the underlying settlement agreement unenforceable due to lack of presidential approval and corruption involving former officials, and ordered Sunrise and its promoter Leno Adesanya to cover 75% of Nigeria's legal fees and refund $11.8 million in legal costs.
This ruling removes a two-decade legal barrier that had stalled the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric dam in eastern Nigeria that is vital for the nation's power supply. Without financial close, the project could not proceed, leaving Nigeria without the clean, renewable energy it promised and contributing to ongoing energy poverty and lost industrial output.
With the legal path cleared, stakeholders should monitor upcoming financing arrangements, construction timelines, and government approvals. Will the Mambilla Dam finally move toward completion and deliver the megawatts Nigeria needs, or will new obstacles arise?