Construction and Installation of a 100 MW Solar PV Power Plant at Maikunkele and Construction of Grid Interconnection and Evacuation Infrastructure, Niger State, Nigeria (2 Lots)
01Project Overview
Lot 2 — construction of grid interconnection and evacuation infrastructure at Maikunkele
02Project Background
The Federal Government of Nigeria enacted the Climate Change Act in 2021 and committed at COP26 to reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, subsequently publishing the Energy Transition Plan, which identifies power, transport, oil and gas, cooking, and industry as the five priority sectors for emission reduction. In the power sector, the plan's decarbonisation pathway centres on expanding solar generation and progressively replacing diesel and petrol self-generation, while gas provides transitional baseload capacity and grid capability to absorb renewable generation is upgraded in parallel. The project is located in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria, and forms part of the country's addition of new solar generation capacity in the power sector.
Nigeria's power system has long faced the twin constraints of insufficient generation capacity and limited transmission and distribution capability, with a large share of industrial, commercial and household demand met by diesel or petrol self-generation, and insufficient transmission corridor capacity has become a principal bottleneck for bringing new generation capacity into service. The procurement for this project separates the construction of the solar PV plant from the grid interconnection and evacuation infrastructure into two independent lots, so that generation-side works and connection and evacuation works advance in parallel and new capacity is not delayed by inadequate grid access.
The project is financed by the Islamic Development Bank through instalment sales financing under financing No. NGA-1063 for USD 150 million, covering solar PV power generation, grid interconnection and evacuation infrastructure, design and supervision consultancy, project management, project financial audit, and a contingency emergency response component. The Islamic Development Bank published the General Procurement Notice for the project on its procurement website on 26 July 2026, and the Niger State Government subsequently issued the Invitation for Prequalification, including Addendum No. 1, in September 2026 to prequalify international contractors for the civil works in the two lots.
03Scope of Work & Technical Specifications
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Lot 1 Scope | Construction and installation of the Maikunkele solar PV power generation plant with a capacity of 100 MW, comprising the civil works, erection and commissioning of the generation facilities and their associated systems |
| Lot 2 Scope | Construction of the grid interconnection and evacuation infrastructure at Maikunkele, comprising the works required to connect the plant to the grid and evacuate its output |
| Installed Capacity | 100 MW |
| Site | Maikunkele, Bosso Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria |
| Procurement Stage | Prequalification. Only prequalified applicants proceed to the subsequent International Competitive Bidding stage |
| Document Language | The prequalification documents are issued in English and applications are prepared in English |
| Inspection and Enquiries | Eligible applicants may inspect the prequalification documents and obtain further information at the project office during office hours from 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Submission Method | Applications are submitted in sealed hard-copy envelopes, clearly marked with the lot applied for (Lot 1, Lot 2 or both); electronic bidding is not permitted and late applications are rejected |
04Key Commercial Terms
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Contract Type | Civil works contracts awarded and implemented separately per lot, administered under the IsDB general conditions for works |
| Source of Financing | IsDB instalment sales financing under financing No. NGA-1063 for USD 150 million; part of the proceeds is applied by the Federal Government of Nigeria to payments under this contract |
| Tender Document Fee | Non-refundable prequalification document fee of NGN 250,000 or USD 200 |
| Payment Route | Payment is made by direct transfer or bank draft; the receiving accounts are held in the name of the Niger State Government (NNDP Project Account) at Zenith Bank, in naira and in US dollars respectively |
| Bid Security | Bid security is not ordinarily required at the prequalification stage; the requirement is set out with the bidding documents at the subsequent bidding stage |
| Performance Security | Performance security is ordinarily required from the successful bidder in works contracts of this type, typically at a percentage of the contract price and valid until the end of the defects liability period |
| Advance Payment | Advance payment arrangements, supported by an advance payment guarantee, are common in works contracts procured under international competitive bidding; the percentage and amortisation method are set out in the bidding documents |
| Insurance and Taxes | Contractors are ordinarily required to take out works all-risks and third-party liability insurance and to bear the taxes and duties applicable under Nigerian law |
05Bidder Qualification Requirements
06Key Milestones
07Evaluation Criteria
- Works contracts procured under international competitive bidding are ordinarily assessed by weighting the technical and commercial parts separately. The technical part typically covers:
- Construction method and organisation for solar PV plants and transmission works of comparable scale
- Qualifications and deployment of the project manager and key personnel
- Construction plant, testing equipment and labour resources
- Track record and performance on works of comparable scale
- The commercial assessment ordinarily centres on the bid price and its completeness, typically covering:
- Level of the bid price
- Completeness and arithmetical check of the priced bid
- Responsiveness to the payment terms, programme and security arrangements
- Evaluation of works contracts of this type ordinarily also covers execution and safety capability:
- Site organisation and temporary facilities
- Occupational health, safety and environmental controls
- Local resource mobilisation and logistics arrangements
