President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has achieved another milestone in Nigeria’s power reform agenda by securing a $238 million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The agreement was finalized at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama, Japan.
According to the Ministry of Power, Tinubu made it clear that Nigeria’s involvement in TICAD9 was focused on real results. “Nigeria’s participation at TICAD 9 was not about trade exhibitions, but about forging strategic, outcome-driven partnerships that would deliver tangible results for the Nigerian people,” the President said.
The loan, with additional Federal Executive Council counterpart funding of over N19 billion, will support the expansion of the national grid through construction of new double circuit lines, substations, and line bay extensions.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, noted that Japanese companies such as Toshiba and Hitachi will play vital roles in the execution of the project. “This $238 million loan from JICA provides the backbone for that transformation,” he said.
Adelabu further acknowledged JICA’s reliability: “Their contributions across infrastructure, technical studies, training, and financing continue to play a vital role in strengthening our power sector.”
The government estimates that around 40 percent of Nigerians remain without electricity. To close this gap, it is expanding grid access in cities while promoting off-grid systems for rural communities.
Complementary efforts include a $750 million renewable energy programme supported by the World Bank, as well as $32 million JICA-funded substations in Lagos, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria’s human capacity is also being strengthened, with JICA supporting the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria through advanced training facilities for engineers.