Nigeria is locked in a major power dispute . (Image: Getty)
Nigera, most populous country with over 200 million people, eagerly awaits a new power project that could provide energy security to a nation battered by constant outages.
Its power sector has been crippled by a lack of investment, with the grid collapsing at least 10 times in 2024 as millions were plunged into darkness.
Experts say the country has the potential to generate a staggering 13,000 megawatts of electricity. However, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, it can currently only transmit 4,000 megawatts due to weak infrastructure, far from enough to provide power to its 200 million-strong population.
That’s why officials and industry figures have been scrambling to get the $6.1 billion (£3.1 billion) Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project off the ground.
Once complete, the mega project is expected to generate more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity, making it one of the largest energy plants in Africa.
:
Nigeria suffers regular blackouts. (Image: Getty)
But the project has been hit by a series of damaging delays amid a huge decades-long row, with legal battles and fraud allegations scuppering its chances of getting off the ground.
It dates back to 2003, when Nigerian Government originally tried to get it off the ground after winning a $6billion (£3billion) contract to Sunrise and its consortium of Chinese partners.
It later secured a $5.5 billion loan from a Chinese bank to assist funding efforts.
But in 2007, the government tore up the original contract and entered into a new agreement with a different Chinese firm.
Don’t miss… [SPOTLIGHT]
The move violated its existing deal with sparked a legal dispute that dragged on for 14 years, scuppering the project’s chances of getting off the ground.
Sunrise eventually won the challenge, and it looked as though the project would proceed under a new agreement between the firm and the government.
But the Nigerian Government sparked fury once again when it entered into another deal with a different Chinese consortium
Sunrise took legal action for a second time, seeking $2.3billion (£1.2billion) in damages as it took the matter to an international court in 2018.
It later withdrew its claim in 2021, but only on the condition that the government make a financial commitment to recognising Sunrise as the executive local partner.
Amid the legal chaos, the Nigerian government was also hit with fraud allegations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed that the country’s former power minister, Olu Agunloye, awarded the initial contract to Sunrise without any sign-off or the required financial backing.
He was also accused of taking a $3.6million (£1.8million) bribe from Sunrise’s chairman. Now, he faces questioning in France as he faces testimony.