The International Chamber of Commerce arbitration tribunal delivered a 616-page final award in Paris on September 16, 2026, rejecting claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against Nigeria. The tribunal's decision was welcomed by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, who described it as removing a major legal obstacle to the long-delayed Mambilla project.
Embattled former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, released a statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, rejecting allegations that he entered into a corrupt arrangement with Sunrise Power promoter, Leno Adesanya. Malami welcomed Nigeria's victory in the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project arbitration but denied any wrongdoing.
According to Malami's statement, the dispute surrounding Sunrise and the Mambilla project began years before he became Attorney-General. Sunrise became involved in the proposed project in 2003, and successive administrations and Attorneys-General dealt with contractual disputes involving the company.
Malami explained that his involvement followed governmental and presidential processes, including a directive communicated by the then Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2016. The Ministry of Justice's role was primarily to advise the Federal Government on its legal exposure and possible ways of resolving the dispute.
The former AGF said that by 2019, the unresolved Sunrise dispute was considered an impediment to financing discussions concerning the Mambilla project. He claimed that Sunrise initially demanded $500m as a full and final settlement during negotiations in London in November 2019, while Federal Government representatives countered with $100m before a $200m figure emerged.
Malami categorically denied the allegation of a corrupt arrangement between him and Adesanya, stressing that his official actions were not undertaken pursuant to a corrupt agreement or in exchange for personal financial benefit. The tribunal's reported findings, however, said it found evidence of a corrupt arrangement involving Malami and Adesanya.
Despite the controversy surrounding the former AGF's role, Nigeria secured the outcome it sought in the arbitration, with the Federal Government saying Sunrise had sought $680m plus interest in one arbitration and more than $2.7bn in another dispute connected to the Mambilla project.
Key points
- The International Chamber of Commerce tribunal rejected Sunrise Power's claims and ordered the company to reimburse Nigeria for legal costs.
- Malami denied allegations of a corrupt arrangement with Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya.
- The arbitration outcome removes a major legal obstacle to the long-delayed Mambilla project.
