Over 70,000 Nigerians will benefit from the Africa Mini-Grids Program (AMP), supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), as part of a major push for rural electrification.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting this initiative in collaboration with Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency.
The REA announced on Saturday in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it had signed grant agreements with 18 Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs) to establish 23 new mini-grids across the country.
The move is aimed at improving access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy for underserved and off-grid communities.
The Africa Mini-Grids Program (AMP) is a multi-country initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy solutions in rural areas.
In Nigeria, the program is expected to drive economic growth, enhance energy security, and reduce carbon emissions.
According to REA, the selected RESCOs will deploy innovative renewable energy technologies, including solar hybrid mini-grids, to power homes, businesses, and public facilities. The project aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to achieving universal energy access and transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
“70,000+ Nigerians to be impacted as the Global Environment Facility (@theGEF), @UNDP and Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Sign Grant Agreements with 18 Renewable Energy Service Companies, to Deliver 23 New Mini-Grids Nationwide through the GEF-Funded Africa Mini-Grids Program (AMP),” REA tweeted.
Key Objectives of the GEF-Funded Mini-Grids Program
- Expanding Energy Access: The deployment of 23 mini-grids will bring electricity to thousands of households, small businesses, and healthcare facilities in remote locations.
- Promoting Renewable Energy: By leveraging solar and hybrid energy solutions, the initiative aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and promote environmental sustainability.
- Enhancing Economic Opportunities: Reliable electricity supply will enable local enterprises to thrive, create jobs, and improve the overall standard of living in rural communities.
- Strengthening Nigeria’s Energy Infrastructure: The program supports Nigeria’s National Electrification Project (NEP), which seeks to bridge the energy gap and ensure equitable distribution of power across the country.
More insights
At the just-concluded Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania, President Bola Tinubu secured $70 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to fund mini-grid projects.
- The fund is part of a $1 billion facility established by the IFC through grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the African Development Bank.
- According to information on the UNDP website, renewable energy mini-grids offer significant potential to address the electricity needs of 733 million people globally— including 567 million in sub-Saharan Africa—who currently lack access to electricity.
In November 2023, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) launched a control room center to monitor mini-grids in Nigeria. This center serves as a hub for overseeing and gathering data on off-grid electricity systems, ensuring efficient operation and management of smaller power networks that are not connected to the national grid.