FG to raise Niger power plant output to 700MW

The Federal Government of Nigeria is undertaking a regulatory review of the $1.3 billion Zungeru Hydropower Project in Niger State, aiming to boost its output to 700 megawatts (MW). Currently, the plant supplies approximately half of its installed capacity to the national grid. This move, announced by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), is part of efforts to enhance power generation and address ongoing electricity shortages across the country.

The ICRC, an agency established under the ICRC Act 2005, is responsible for regulating public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements and monitoring compliance with concession agreements. Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Ifeanyi Nwoko, stated that the review aims to optimize the performance of the plant, which is operated under a PPP arrangement and currently generates 350 MW.

ICRC Director-General, Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, emphasized the government's commitment to resolving power challenges, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to address the issue.

The Zungeru Hydropower Project, located on the Kaduna River in Niger State, features four generating units with an installed capacity of 700 MW. The project was developed at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion to enhance electricity generation and improve the stability of the national grid. The ICRC's intervention is not intended to take over the agreement but to ensure compliance with the terms and obligations of the concession agreement.

During a stakeholders' meeting in Abuja, the ICRC highlighted the importance of increasing output from existing infrastructure rather than solely relying on new generation projects. President Tinubu's 2026 Democracy Day address emphasized the significance of electricity as a democratic dividend owed to every Nigerian. The ICRC's review of other PPP projects, such as Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, Dadinkowa, and Kashimbila, will inform a report to be submitted to President Tinubu.