Mambilla Scandal Resurfaces After Ex-Minister Mamman’s Conviction

Mambilla Scandal Resurfaces After Ex-Minister Mamman’s Conviction

The conviction of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, on 12-count charges bordering on money laundering involving N33.8 billion has once again brought renewed public attention to the long-stalled Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, one of Nigeria’s most controversial and delayed infrastructure projects.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday found Mamman guilty of laundering funds linked to the project, marking a major development in one of the biggest corruption cases tied to Nigeria’s power sector.

Although sentencing was deferred to May 13, 2026, the judgment has already reignited debate over the decades-long failure to complete the 3,050MW Mambilla Power Plant in Taraba State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Mamman, while serving as Minister of Power in 2019, conspired with ministry officials and private firms to divert N33.8 billion earmarked for major electricity projects, including Mambilla and the Zungeru Hydroelectric scheme.

The court heard that the funds were routed through private companies suspected to have been used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activity linked to criminal breach of trust in public project financing.

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The case also included allegations of unauthorized cash transactions involving foreign currency payments made outside the banking system.

The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, designed to generate 3,050MW, has remained uncompleted for over four decades despite multiple funding commitments from successive governments.

Originally conceived to be Nigeria’s largest power plant, the project was expected to significantly boost national electricity supply, improve grid stability and support industrial growth.

Experts have repeatedly described it as a “game-changing project” capable of increasing Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity by about 30 percent and improving power exports to neighbouring West African countries such as Niger, Benin, Togo and Chad.

However, despite billions of naira and over $1 billion spent on feasibility studies, consultancy and preliminary works, the project remains stuck at pre-construction stage with no electricity generated to date.

The project has also been plagued by multiple legal disputes involving local and international firms.

In 2003, the Federal Government awarded the Mambilla project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited under a Build-Operate-Transfer arrangement estimated at $6 billion.

The contract, signed under then Minister of Power Olu Agunloye, later became controversial after government agencies questioned its approval process, leading to years of arbitration and court cases.

Sunrise Power subsequently dragged the Nigerian government before the International Court of Arbitration (ICC) in Paris, claiming breach of contract and demanding compensation running into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The arbitration has remained one of the major obstacles delaying the project.

The controversy has drawn in several top political figures over the years.

Former Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, had previously described Sunrise Power as a middleman in the project structure, while later administrations opted for a Chinese consortium to execute the engineering works.

Former ministers and government officials have also been implicated in various legal proceedings linked to the project’s contractual disputes.

In separate arbitration-related proceedings, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari were reportedly involved as witnesses in hearings connected to the international dispute over the project’s ownership and execution structure.

Since the start of the Bola Tinubu administration in 2023, the federal government has stopped direct funding for the Mambilla project, citing ongoing international arbitration and legal uncertainty.

Former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu confirmed that no budgetary allocation was made to the project, explaining that government cannot proceed until legal disputes are resolved.

He said the decision was deliberate to avoid financial exposure while arbitration proceedings remain unresolved.

Energy sector experts and civil society organisations have described Mamman’s conviction as a potential turning point in addressing long-standing issues surrounding the Mambilla project.

Some stakeholders argue that the ruling should prompt a broader investigation into all actors involved in the project’s delay and financial management.

Energy analysts have also called for transparency in the total amount spent on the project over the years, insisting that Nigerians deserve clarity on how funds were utilised.

Others are urging the federal government to resolve the legal disputes quickly and bring in credible international partners to finally complete the project.

The Mambilla project is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most important but troubled infrastructure initiatives.

Despite repeated promises across different administrations, the project has become a symbol of prolonged litigation, contract disputes and governance challenges in the country’s power sector.

With Mamman’s conviction now adding a criminal dimension to the controversy, attention has once again shifted to how Nigeria can finally unlock the long-delayed project and achieve its long-standing electricity goals.

Mambilla Scandal Resurfaces After Ex-Minister Mamman’s Conviction