FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGES ENERGY CHINA TO REVIVE MAMBILA POWER PROJECT
The Federal Government has taken fresh steps to revive the long-delayed Mambila Hydropower Project in Taraba State, engaging China Energy Engineering Corporation (Energy China) to examine the most practical way of delivering the project, including the possibility of implementing it in phases.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja marking his first 100 days in office. He said the ministry had directed Energy China to assess the project and determine an approach capable of moving it from years of delay towards implementation.
The renewed effort follows Nigeria’s recent victory in the long-running legal dispute surrounding the project. On September 17, 2026, an International Chamber of Commerce tribunal in Paris ruled in Nigeria’s favour in the arbitration brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company.
The dispute had created a major obstacle to the project’s financing and development. The State House said the arbitration involved claims of more than $3 billion connected with the Mambila project.
The project was originally conceived as a major hydroelectric development capable of generating about 3,050 megawatts, although its planned capacity has subsequently been revised as the government has sought a financially viable structure for implementation.
According to Minister Tegbe, the Federal Government is asking Energy China to consider whether a phased development model could make the project easier to finance and execute.
He said large-scale hydropower projects such as Mambila form part of Nigeria’s medium- and long-term electricity strategy, alongside smaller hydropower schemes designed to support agricultural and economic corridors.
A phased approach could allow portions of the infrastructure to be developed progressively rather than waiting for the entire project to be completed before benefits begin to emerge
The Mambila discussions are part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to deepen cooperation with Chinese companies and financial institutions in Nigeria’s electricity sector.
Tegbe said a recent Nigerian mission to China secured commitments from Sinomach, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) and Chinese financiers to accelerate priority power projects.
Among the projects highlighted are the 1.9-gigawatt Presidential Power Initiative, for which CMEC has reaffirmed its involvement, with the first transmission lines scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027. CNEEC is also advancing financing arrangements for the $116 million Zungeru power evacuation project.
The China partnership also extends beyond electricity generation and transmission.
The minister disclosed that TBEA had committed to a proposed $500 million industrial park for power-equipment manufacturing. HengFei Cables has also committed to supplying cables for the second phase of the Presidential Power Initiative and proposed establishing a cable assembly plant and training centre in Nigeria.
The government says such initiatives are intended to connect power infrastructure development with local manufacturing, technical skills and technology transfer
The Mambila project has remained one of Nigeria’s most ambitious electricity-generation proposals for many years. Its revival could potentially add substantial new hydroelectric generation capacity to the national power system, while also supporting economic activities in Taraba and other parts of the country.
However, the current development represents a renewed planning and delivery effort rather than the completion of the project. Key issues—including financing, final project scope, construction arrangements, transmission infrastructure and implementation timelines—will still have to be resolved.
The Federal Government’s engagement with Energy China therefore marks a new stage in its attempt to move Mambila beyond the legal and financing difficulties that have delayed it for years.