Nigeria's Transmission Company defends N1.28bn solar streetlight projects as government‑funded constituency initiatives

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the N1.28 billion solar streetlight projects carried out in May‑June 2025 were financed with federal government appropriations, not from the company's internally generated revenue. The projects, implemented in Jigawa, Kano and Kogi states, were nominated by members of the National Assembly as constituency interventions and approved by President Bola Tinubu. Payments were processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and procurement received clearance from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). TCN emphasized that it did not initiate or request the projects, but acted as the implementing agency under established government practice. While its core mandate remains bulk power transmission, the company can execute federal projects when assigned, and it argues that well‑lit communities improve security, reduce vandalism and protect the national grid.

The clarification follows a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism that alleged the streetlight work fell outside TCN’s statutory remit. TCN’s statement reiterated that the interventions support public safety and socio‑economic activity while safeguarding critical transmission infrastructure.