SEforALL awards grants to 19 energy developers to provide solar solutions to Nigerians

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) says it has signed grant agreements with 19 clean energy developers for the deployment of solar energy solutions across Nigeria. 

In a statement on Friday, the organisation said the agreement is part of the stand-alone solar for productive use (SSPU) programme under its results-based financing (RBF) multi-donor fund — the Universal Energy Facility (UEF).

The project, which will target the deployment of high capacity solar and battery storage systems to businesses and institutions in Nigeria, is expected to be fully installed and operational before the end of 2024.

Joseph Nganga, interim CEO, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), said by empowering clean energy developers, the project is making a significant contribution to the drive for a sustainable future.

“This marks a significant step forward in our shared vision for a sustainable future. By signing these grant agreements, the UEF is truly making a difference by empowering clean energy developers to bring their innovative solutions to life,” Nganga was quoted as saying.

“I’m incredibly proud of the UEF’s work and excited to see the positive impact these projects will have on many lives.”

Abba Aliyu, managing director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), said the programme will curb carbon emissions, enable essential services to function smoothly, as well as unlock economic opportunities and improve overall well-being.

“I am proud of the work we have all done to enable a better environment for the private sector to grow within the energy sector,” he said.

“The companies signing the grant agreements today are a testament to the policies that have been put in place and capacity building efforts made in the past decade to build the sector.”

Also speaking, Shubham Chaudhuri, country director, World Bank, Nigeria, said the UEF project will serve to complement the already existing Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, launched by the World Bank in December, 2023, to improve electricity access through distributed renewable energy solutions in Nigeria.

“In combination with innovative financing solutions, such as those we are discussing today through the Universal Energy Facility among others, the DARES project will scale up productive use and clean energy to not only communities but also to Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) that form the backbone of Nigeria’s economy,” Chaudhuri said.

The statement added that this significant expansion builds upon the success of the UEF’s initial launch of the SSPU programme in February 2023 when 10 developers received grants to deploy SSPU units in underserved or unserved communities.

Following the initial launch, over 1,600 systems have been installed, serving over 1,200 businesses and institutions such as health and educational facilities in Nigeria.

The UEF has seen significant progress not only in Nigeria but also in Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Sierra Leone, with thousands of Africans reportedly benefitting from the facility.