President Bola Tinubu has described Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration dispute involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited as a significant breakthrough in efforts to resolve the legal challenges surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
An International Chamber of Commerce tribunal sitting in Paris, France, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, rejected claims brought by Sunrise in connection with agreements relating to the project.
The panel dismissed Sunrise’s allegation that Nigeria violated the terms of a settlement agreement and its addendum. It also threw out the company’s $400m demand, made up of a $200m settlement payment and a further $200m default claim.
The tribunal directed Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to bear 75 per cent of Nigeria’s legal expenses in the proceedings, putting the amount payable to the Federal Government at $11.82m.
It also apportioned the $1.66m arbitration costs, assigning 75 per cent to Sunrise and Adesanya and the remaining 25 per cent to Nigeria.
The panel further ruled that Adesanya was bound by the arbitration agreement and that it had jurisdiction to entertain Nigeria’s counterclaim against him and his company.
Welcoming the decision, Tinubu said the ruling had eliminated what he described as the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had held back the Mambilla project for years.
The President praised Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice for their work on the case.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Wins $2.35bn Sunrise Arbitration Battle Over Mambilla Power Project
He also commended Nigeria’s legal team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for its representation of the country during the proceedings.
Tinubu acknowledged the contributions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who appeared as witnesses, as well as former ministers Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu, other witnesses and technical experts.
The legal dispute originated from a 2003 agreement for the construction of a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Mambilla under a build-operate-transfer arrangement valued at about $6bn.
Sunrise initiated arbitration at the ICC on October 10, 2017, demanding approximately $2.354bn over an alleged breach of the agreement.
A settlement reached between the parties in 2020 subsequently became the subject of further disagreements, leading to additional arbitration proceedings.
The latest proceedings also involved a $680m claim relating to settlement payments and interest, while a separate arbitration connected to the wider dispute includes Sunrise’s claim for more than $2.7bn in compensation and interest.
The Federal Government’s current plans for the Mambilla development describe it as a major hydroelectric project in Taraba State, while the original 2003 agreement provided for a 3,050MW facility.
Tinubu said the government would continue to meet its lawful obligations, engage genuine investors and protect Nigeria’s interests in commercial disputes.