The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has committed N20 billion to expand and rehabilitate Nigeria’s national electricity grid, with the Apapa Transmission Substation in Lagos among the biggest beneficiaries.
JICA Chief Representative in Nigeria, Ishigame Keiji, disclosed the funding, valued at 2.35 billion Japanese yen, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. He said the money would cover construction, equipment procurement, engineering services and operational training.
Keiji said the intervention targets critical transmission infrastructure in Lagos, where rising electricity demand and ageing facilities have strained the system, adding that work already done on the Apapa substation has boosted transmission capacity, improved reliability and eased bottlenecks in electricity distribution across the state and its neighbours.
Beyond Apapa, Japan is running a separate concessional loan project to upgrade the transmission network spanning Lagos and Ogun states, while JICA continues to provide technical advisers to the Ministry of Power to support broader sector reforms.
Keiji said Japanese companies and other investors remain drawn to Nigeria’s large market but called for stronger government support and deeper private sector participation to sustain that interest.
He also revealed that JICA is partnering with the World Bank on mini grid development for rural communities, alongside ongoing efforts to strengthen policy and institutional reforms across Nigeria’s power sector.
By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed
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