The Federal Government has commenced efforts to raise electricity generation from the Zungeru Hydropower Project in Niger State from its current 350 megawatts to its full installed capacity of 700MW.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission disclosed this after convening a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja to examine the legal and operational challenges limiting the performance of the $1.3bn project.
The meeting brought together officials of the Federal Ministry of Power, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Penstock Limited, the private concessionaire operating the plant under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
The review is part of the government’s broader efforts to increase electricity supply by maximising the output of existing generation assets.
The statement signed by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Ifeanyi Nwoko read, “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has stepped up its regulatory oversight on the $1.3bn, 700-megawatt Zungeru Hydropower Project in a bid to optimise the performance of the plant, which is operated under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement and currently generating about 350 megawatts to the National Grid.”
Speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of the ICRC, Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, said the government could not afford to have strategic power assets operating below their capacity.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to Nigerians that he will solve the power problem is not words for the sake of it. It is a statement he meant, and he has charged all of us to support him by playing our roles to deliver on this promise,” he said.
Ewalefoh said the meeting was specifically convened to identify the factors restricting Zungeru’s output and develop measures to address them.
“With the administration earnestly working to resolve the country’s power challenges, PPP assets such as Zungeru could not be allowed to operate below capacity,” he said.
Located along the Kaduna River in Niger State, the Zungeru project has four generating units and was developed at an estimated cost of $1.3bn.
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The ICRC said its intervention was aimed at ensuring compliance with the concession agreement rather than taking over the project.
“Signing a concession agreement is only the first step; implementation of the terms in the PPP agreement is what delivers results. In PPP, risks are shared, and no party is doing the other a favour.
“Our duty is to ensure sustainability, return on investment is achieved, services are delivered, and value for money is secured in the interest of the Nigerian people,” he said.
The commission said similar reviews would be conducted on other PPP power projects, including Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, Dadinkowa and Kashimbila, with findings to be submitted to President Bola Tinubu.
In his 2026 Democracy Day address, Tinubu said, “Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian.”
Ewalefoh added, “Efficiency is a key reason government assets are handed over to the private sector, and the Commission must ensure that efficiency is achieved through regulatory monitoring and compliance,” he said.
The stakeholders agreed to reconvene after identifying the issues affecting Zungeru’s performance, with the ultimate objective of increasing its contribution to the national grid.