TCN Defends N1.28bn Solar Streetlight Projects, Says They Were National Assembly Interventions
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has defended its execution of N1.28 billion solar streetlight projects, insisting the contracts were not outside its mandate but constituency interventions assigned by the National Assembly and funded through the Federal Government’s approved budget.
In a statement on Friday, the company was responding to a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which alleged that TCN spent N1.28 billion between May and June 2025 on solar streetlight projects unrelated to its statutory responsibilities.
TCN explained that the projects were captured in the Federal Government’s appropriation budget as National Assembly constituency projects and that it was designated as the implementing agency.
It stressed that the funds were not sourced from its internally generated revenue but from federal allocations approved by the President and processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
The company also maintained that all procurements complied with the Public Procurement Act, 2007, with approvals from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
It added that the solar streetlights, installed in communities across Jigawa, Kano and Kogi states, were intended to improve security, reduce vandalism and help protect critical national power infrastructure.
Reaffirming that its core responsibility remains bulk electricity transmission, TCN said government agencies are legally empowered to implement constituency projects assigned to them, provided due process is followed.
The company urged media organisations to verify information with it before publication to promote accurate and balanced reporting and prevent the spread of misinformation.
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