The Federal Government has directed Energy China to explore the most practical approach to delivering the Mambila Hydropower Project, including the possibility of implementing it in phases.
The directive follows Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration proceedings over the long-delayed project.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said larger hydropower projects, including Mambila, as well as smaller hydropower schemes serving agricultural corridors, form part of Nigeria’s medium- and long-term electricity strategy.
Tegbe also disclosed that the recent Nigeria-China power mission secured commitments from major Chinese companies and financiers to accelerate the implementation of priority power projects in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, Sinomach, CMEC, CNEEC and Chinese financial institutions have pledged support for the development of critical power infrastructure.
CMEC also reaffirmed its role in the 1.9-gigawatt Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) portfolio, with the first transmission lines scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027.
CNEEC, meanwhile, has advanced financing arrangements for the $116 million Zungeru power evacuation project.
The Minister said TBEA had also committed to a proposed $500 million industrial park for power-equipment manufacturing in Nigeria, alongside accelerated work on the PPI and a three-year delivery pathway for the East-West Super Grid.
HengFei Cables, he added, had committed to supplying cables for PPI Phase Two and proposed establishing a cable assembly plant and training centre in Nigeria.
Tegbe said the initiatives would help link infrastructure development with local manufacturing and technical capacity, while supporting efforts to improve electricity supply across the country.
He said the Federal Government would continue to pursue partnerships capable of expanding Nigeria’s power infrastructure and strengthening local participation in the electricity value chain.
