TCN defends N1.28bn solar streetlight spending as approved government projects

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has responded to claims that it misused N1.28 billion on solar streetlight installations by asserting the projects were legitimate government-backed constituency interventions. The company's management released a statement defending the expenditure, which occurred between May and June 2025, following a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism that questioned whether the spending fell outside TCN's responsibilities.

According to TCN's account, the solar streetlight projects were not initiated by the company itself but were National Assembly Constituency Projects that had been included in the Federal Government's appropriations budget. Lawmakers and senators from various constituencies nominated the installations to serve communities with security concerns, and TCN was designated by the government as the implementing agency rather than the funding source.

The company stressed it followed proper government protocols in executing the work. TCN emphasized that the projects addressed vulnerable areas where improved lighting could strengthen grid security and community safety.

The company clarified that Federal Government funds, not its own operational resources, financed the N1.28 billion initiative. According to the company's statement, it acted as administrator of projects that had already been approved through official budget channels and were requested by elected representatives.

The clarification became necessary after investigative reporting suggested the expenditure deviated from TCN's statutory mandate of managing Nigeria's electricity transmission network. TCN's response indicates the dispute centers on whether constituency-based infrastructure projects fall within an energy transmission company's appropriate roles, even when the government designates it as the executing agency for budgeted funds.