The Federal Government has commissioned upgraded transmission substations at Ijora and Apapa Road in Lagos, adding a combined 208 megawatts (MW) of bulk transmission capacity to the national grid.
The projects, inaugurated on Monday, August 17, 2026, by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, are expected to strengthen electricity supply to major industrial, commercial and residential areas across Lagos.
At the Ijora 132/33kV transmission substation, two new 100MVA transformers have increased installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, representing an additional 112MW of bulk transmission capacity. The upgrade is expected to improve electricity supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities within the franchise area of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
At the Apapa Road transmission substation, the installation and energisation of two new 60MVA transformers and modern Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) increased the facility’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA, adding another 96MW of transmission capacity.
The Apapa upgrade is particularly significant because the area hosts major ports, maritime businesses, logistics companies, warehouses and manufacturing industries. The additional capacity is expected to increase bulk power available to EKEDC for distribution to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and surrounding areas.
Speaking during the commissioning, Tegbe said the projects formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address structural constraints in Nigeria’s electricity sector. He stressed that expanding transmission capacity was essential to ensuring that available generation could reach areas where electricity demand was highest.
The minister noted that population growth, industrial expansion and increased commercial activity had placed significant pressure on existing infrastructure, resulting in suppressed load and constrained electricity supply.
He said reliable electricity remained critical to Nigeria’s economic transformation and the administration’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, described the projects as a major investment in strengthening the country’s transmission network.
According to him, the Apapa project was supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the Ijora intervention received support from the World Bank, in partnership with TCN. He called for similar support to rehabilitate and upgrade other critical sections of the national transmission network.
The Federal Government said the additional 208MW capacity would help improve grid stability and support economic activities across some of Lagos’s most important commercial and industrial corridors.
