Nigeria Secures Landmark ICC Victory; Tribunal Rejects Sunrise $2.35bn Mambilla Claim
Abuja, Nigeria—September 17, 2026—Nigeria scored a significant legal victory on Thursday when an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris rejected claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited over the disputed Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
In a final award issued today, the three-member tribunal dismissed Sunrise’s demands arising from a 2020 settlement agreement and related claims linked to a broader dispute in which the company had sought more than $2.3 billion in compensation and interest.
The company had also pursued approximately $680 million (including interest) tied to the settlement terms.
The tribunal further ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for 75 percent of its legal fees and expenses, amounting to about $11.82 million.
Part of this sum will be recovered from funds held in escrow by the ICC, with the remainder payable with interest. Arbitration costs were similarly allocated largely against the claimants.
Background to the Long-Running Dispute
The controversy traces back to a 2003 build-operate-transfer agreement under which Sunrise claimed it was awarded a contract valued at around $6 billion to develop a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.
Successive Nigerian governments maintained that the Federal Executive Council never properly authorized the deal.
Sunrise initiated arbitration at the ICC in 2017, seeking damages for alleged breach of contract. In 2020 the parties entered a settlement under which Nigeria was to pay $200 million; when that payment was not made, Sunrise returned to arbitration seeking $400 million (the settlement sum plus a default penalty).
The case dragged on for years, becoming one of the most prominent legal obstacles to progress on the Mambilla project.
Presidential Statement and Key Testimonies
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a statement through the Presidency, describing the ruling as affirmation of Nigeria’s determination “not to succumb to predatory and exploitative claims by corrupt local and international entities.”
He specifically credited Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi and the Federal Ministry of Justice, as well as the external defence team led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP.
Tinubu also commended the patriotism of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, both of whom testified in the proceedings.
Other witnesses included former ministers Babatunde Raji Fashola and Suleiman Adamu.
The President further acknowledged support from the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation into related aspects of the matter.
“Today’s ICC ruling clears the single biggest legal hurdle that has paralyzed the Mambilla hydro power project for years,” Tinubu stated, while reiterating that Nigeria remains open to genuine investors but will vigorously defend opportunistic claims against the nation’s resources.
Implications for the Mambilla Project
Conceived decades ago, the Mambilla project has long been regarded as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious power infrastructure initiatives.
Legal disputes, shifting contract awards, and financing challenges repeatedly stalled construction.
With the latest ICC award removing a major claim against the Federal Government, officials and observers see a clearer path for the project to advance, though significant technical, financial and environmental work remains.
The ruling does not automatically restart construction, but it eliminates a substantial contingent liability that had hung over successive administrations.
Nigeria’s legal team successfully argued that the original 2003 arrangement lacked proper authorization and that the subsequent settlement claims were without merit.
As details of the full award become public, attention is expected to shift toward practical steps to revive the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and strengthen safeguards against future contractual disputes of this magnitude.
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