The Federal Government has secured fresh commitments from major Chinese power companies and financial institutions to accelerate critical electricity projects and deepen Chinese investment across Nigeria’s power value chain.
The commitments, which cover generation, transmission, equipment manufacturing, renewable energy and grid digitalisation, followed a high-level Nigeria-China power sector mission to Beijing led by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Tegbe disclosed this in Abuja while presenting his scorecard for his first 100 days in office, saying the government was seeking to move beyond conventional contractor arrangements to partnerships that would bring additional capital, technology and technical expertise into the sector.
Among the companies involved are Sinomach, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) and TBEA, alongside Chinese financial institutions.
CMEC has reaffirmed its commitment to the 1.9GW Presidential Power Initiative, with the first transmission lines under the programme expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2027.
CNEEC, the minister said, is advancing financing of $116 million for the Zungeru power evacuation project, while TBEA has proposed a $500 million industrial park for the local manufacture of power equipment.
The Chinese engagements also cover accelerated development of the East-West Super Grid, the Omotosho-Epe transmission line, cable supply and local assembly, a 300MW distributed renewable-energy programme and waste-to-energy pilot projects.
Tegbe said the government was also working with Huawei on grid digitalisation, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and technical training.
He said the objective was to ensure that foreign partnerships translated into bankable projects and completed infrastructure capable of delivering measurable improvements to the power system.
The minister’s disclosure comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s wider effort to restore financial stability to the electricity market, including the mobilisation of ₦1.23 trillion through two bond issuances to settle verified legacy obligations owed to power generation companies.
—₦120bn Annual Leakage Blocked—
Tegbe also disclosed that interventions along the Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor were expected to block energy theft and related revenue leakages estimated at about ₦120 billion annually.
He said improved billing, collection and remittance remained critical to restoring the financial viability of the electricity market and ensuring that resources generated within the sector were available for continued investment.
The minister said the government was also preparing a new phase of investment in transmission infrastructure, including the proposed Transmission Super Grid and the East-West Grid, while exploring bilateral generation-distribution arrangements to improve the utilisation of existing power assets.
—Mambila Project Gets Fresh Impetus—
Tegbe said the government’s recent victory in the long-running arbitration over the Mambila hydropower project had removed a major obstacle to the development of the massive scheme in Taraba State.
An International Chamber of Commerce arbitration tribunal in Paris last week rejected claims totalling about $3.38 billion brought against Nigeria by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company in disputes connected with the project.
The minister said the government was now exploring a pragmatic, potentially phased approach to delivering the Mambila project, alongside smaller hydropower schemes that could serve agricultural and industrial corridors.
He identified the next phase of the government’s power programme as one focused on converting agreements and ongoing reforms into bankable projects, additional transmission capacity and infrastructure capable of supporting future electricity demand.
Among the priorities, he said, were the East-West Grid, the Transmission Super Grid, Mambila and small hydropower projects.
Tegbe said the government would also continue to pursue greater private-sector participation in the electricity market, insisting that new generation capacity must be matched by viable demand and infrastructure.
“An inch of improvement is better than a mile of intentions,” he said, quoting Steve Maraboli as he reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to reforming the power sector under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Office of the Honourable Minister
Federal Ministry of Power
September 22, 2026
