Nigeria is negotiating a $2 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of China to finance a new national “super grid”, aimed at stabilising electricity supply and supporting industrial expansion. Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu disclosed this at an economic summit in Abuja, explaining that the new transmission backbone will connect the eastern and western industrial corridors and encourage large-scale manufacturers, who had exited the unreliable national grid to reconnect.
The project, already approved by the Federal Executive Council, forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda to decentralise power generation and boost productivity. Despite an installed capacity of 13GW, Nigeria currently delivers only about 4GW, far below demand.
Adelabu noted that improved tariffs have increased industry revenues by 70% in 2024, with projections of N2.4 trillion ($1.6bn) in 2025. The super grid, he said, would significantly enhance transmission efficiency and power delivery to industrial zones, reducing reliance on costly self-generation.
