The ESB's international arm is one of four players in the running for a contract to operate Nigeria's national grid.

The African country's government has named ESB International (ESBI); Terna Rete Elettrica Nazionale, Italy; Power Grid Corporation, India; and Manitoba Hydro International from Canada as the companies who have pre-qualified to bid for the contract to run its transmission system.

Electricity transmission involves delivering power to sub-stations, from where it is distributed to customers. ESBI would only have responsibility for transmission, not distribution.

The ESB confirmed yesterday that its international business was one of four companies that had been invited to bid for the contract, but said the project was in its early stages.

It has up to the end of the month to submit a formal bid for the project, although the ESB spokesman added that this deadline could be extended as Nigeria is due to hold elections soon.

Nigeria's transmission system is one of the most developed in Africa. Up to recently, a state company controlled electricity generation and supply, but the country's government is trying to liberalise the market.

Last week it emerged that ESBI is bidding to build a €600 million, 400 megawatt coal-fired power station in the Silesia region of Poland.