ABUJA — Nigeria has won an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company over disputes linked to the long-delayed Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
The ICC tribunal in Paris issued its final award on September 17, 2026, rejecting Sunrise’s claims against the Federal Government.
What Sunrise Was Claiming
The State House said Sunrise had demanded $680 million as a settlement-related claim and interest, alongside another arbitration in which it was seeking more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest.
Separate reporting on the final award says the tribunal also rejected a $400 million demand comprising a $200 million settlement sum and a further $200 million default sum.
Historical reporting on an earlier phase of the dispute refers to a $2.354 billion claim. These figures relate to different claims and stages of the dispute and should not be combined into one amount Nigeria “won.”
Tribunal Orders Legal-Cost Reimbursement
The tribunal ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of its legal fees and expenses, amounting to $11,819,506.51.
Of that amount, $2.5 million is to be released from funds held in escrow by the ICC.
The remaining $9.319 million is payable by Sunrise and Adesanya, with interest under the terms of the award.
This is a legal-cost reimbursement order, not a damages award equal to the much larger claims Sunrise brought against Nigeria.
What the Ruling Means for Mambilla
President Bola Tinubu said the ruling removed what he described as the “single biggest legal hurdle” affecting the Mambilla project. That is the government’s assessment of the ruling’s significance.
The award does not, by itself, show that financing has been secured, contractors have mobilised, construction has resumed or a new completion date has been fixed.
For residents of Taraba State and electricity consumers more broadly, the next question is whether the legal victory translates into actual project delivery.
The accountability test now shifts from arbitration to implementation: financing, procurement, construction and eventual power generation.
Why the Dollar Figures Differ
The various dollar figures attached to the dispute refer to different claims and legal stages.
The State House cites a $680 million settlement-related claim and another arbitration involving claims above $2.7 billion.
Separate reporting identifies a $400 million settlement/default demand and an earlier $2.354 billion contract claim.
For now, the clearest verified position is that the ICC tribunal ruled in Nigeria’s favour, rejected Sunrise’s claims in the arbitration before it, and ordered Sunrise and Adesanya to reimburse most of Nigeria’s legal costs.
