Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited promoter, Leno Adesanya, has said the legal battle over the long-delayed Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project is not over, indicating that the company may pursue other legal options following the recent arbitration ruling in favour of the Federal Government.
Adesanya, in a statement on Friday, said his lawyers were reviewing the decision of the arbitral tribunal and would advise on the appropriate next steps.
“The battle is not over. My lawyers are currently reviewing the decision of the arbitral tribunal and will advise on the appropriate next steps,” he said.
He said the company remained committed to protecting its rights and interests in relation to the Mambilla project, describing its position as unchanged despite the tribunal’s decision.
“We remain committed to protecting our rights and interests in relation to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project. We will make a further statement after our legal team has completed its review of the award,” Adesanya said.
His statement came a day after the Federal Government announced that it had won the nearly nine-year international arbitration dispute over the project.
The dispute centres on agreements relating to the development of the Mambilla project in Taraba State, which has long been regarded as one of Nigeria’s major proposed power infrastructure projects.
The government said an International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, in Paris, France, had rejected the claims brought by the company.
The Presidency said the final award, issued on September 17, 2026, had removed what it described as a major legal obstacle to the development of the 1,500-megawatt project.
President Bola Tinubu described the ruling as clearing what he called the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had stalled the project for years.
However, Adesanya’s latest statement indicates that the company is not treating the ruling as the end of its legal challenge, with his lawyers now studying the award and the options available to the company.
The promoter also reaffirmed the company’s continued interest in the Mambilla project, saying a further statement would be made after the legal review.
The project was originally conceived as a 3,050MW hydroelectric power plant before its capacity was reduced and subsequently rescoped to about 1,500MW to improve its financial viability and bankability.
When developed, the project is expected to significantly increase Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity and contribute to efforts to address the country’s long-standing power supply challenges.
