GEF’s 23 New Mini-Grids to Profit 70,000 Nigerians, 375 Enterprises
The World Atmosphere Facility (GEF), the United Nations Growth Programme (UNDP) and the Rural Electrification Company (REA) have superior the implementation of the Africa Mini-Grids Program (AMP), a clear vitality initiative designed to reinforce socio-economic improvement, significantly in Nigeria’s rural agriculture ecosystem.
The AMP, launched in 2022, is lively in 21 nations and is funded by the GEF with help from the UNDP.
On Friday, January 31, 2025, the REA hosted the AMP Grant Award Ceremony, marking the launch of 23 further mini-grids throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
With capacities starting from 30Kwp to 200Kwp, these mini-grids are anticipated to profit over 70,000 Nigerians, facilitate greater than 600 productive-use connections, and supply vitality entry to over 375 social connections.
Eighteen renewable vitality builders have secured grants totaling $5.91 million for the initiative.
Since its inception, the REA has collaborated with the GEF, UNDP, the Federal Ministry of Atmosphere, and different key stakeholders to align the GEF-funded AMP with Nigeria’s rural electrification and agricultural objectives.
This system goals to reinforce vitality entry in last-mile communities by integrating renewable vitality into agricultural worth chains, in the end driving meals safety and financial development.
“The AMP aligns with the Federal Authorities’s give attention to the optimization of decentralized renewable vitality options to catalyze development and unlock alternatives within the agricultural sector,” mentioned REA’s Managing Director/CEO, Abba Abubakar Aliyu.
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“Past powering houses, the implementation of the AMP will energize companies, strengthen innovation within the sector, foster job creation, and cut back vitality poverty throughout the nation.”
The initiative is a part of a broader effort to combine sustainable vitality into Nigeria’s agriculture sector. Of the 120 recognized challenge websites underneath the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP), 23 have been prioritized for the AMP’s pilot section.
These websites span numerous agricultural actions, together with grain and non-grain processing, chilly storage options to attenuate post-harvest losses, and enhancing vitality effectivity in staple meals manufacturing.
Stanley Jonah, GEF Operational Focal Individual and Director of PRS on the Federal Ministry of Atmosphere, emphasised this system’s broader influence.
“The completion of the AMP tasks won’t solely improve the agricultural worth chain but in addition enhance the standard of life for rural dwellers,” he mentioned, reaffirming GEF’s dedication to increasing Nigeria’s vitality entry ecosystem.
UNDP Resident Consultant Elsie Attafuah, represented by Muyiwa Odele, Head of Local weather Change Unit, UNDP Nigeria, counseled the REA for its implementation effectivity.
“The well timed supply of AMP vitality entry interventions will catalyze broader alternatives for the non-public sector and function a mannequin for the over 21 implementing nations in Africa,” Odele famous.
Dr. Bala Tyoden, AMP Programme Lead at REA, urged grantees to take care of compliance with requirements and guarantee transparency.
He additionally inspired builders to advertise feminine inclusion within the vitality sector, emphasizing the significance of gender participation in advancing Nigeria’s clear vitality agenda.
With a 48-month implementation timeline, the GEF-funded mini-grids are anticipated to drive business funding in Nigeria’s mini-grid sector whereas delivering sustainable vitality options to smallholder farmers and rural enterprises.