The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) and All On have officially opened the application window for the 2019 Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge, which will provide up to $100,000 in blended finance per enterprise for the successful applicants. The 2019 application window opens on February 1st and closes on March 15th, 2019.
USADF, a founding member of Power Africa and an independent U.S. Government agency established by Congress to support and invest in African owned and led enterprises and All On, an impact investing company backed by Shell investing in off grid energy solution providers in Nigeria, established the challenge as a multi-year partnership to identify and help scale innovative off-grid solutions to “power up” underserved areas in Nigeria.
Now in the second year of an initial three-year partnership, the parties will jointly provide funding to 100% African owned and operated small and medium enterprises that improve energy access through off-grid energy solutions spanning solar, wind, hydro, biomass and gas technologies. The enterprises may be developers of their own technology and/or acquiring and implementing technologies developed elsewhere. To benefit, applicants need to be legally registered in Nigeria, demonstrate the capacity to track and manage project resources and operate in good standing with the local governments in their areas of operation. Up to $50,000 per selected company will be provided in the form of convertible debt from All On, while up to $50,000 in the form of a grant will be provided by USADF.
The recipients of the 2018 Off-Grid Energy Challenge were Prado Power Ltd, Darway Coast, Auxano, Eastwind, Alyx, Creeds Energy and IKabin.
“The Impact of the All-On/USADF grant has been tremendous. It has given us leverage and impetus to really drive our vision and do much more. The rigorous process involved in getting the fund has opened our eyes to other untapped opportunities and expanded our scope as a company. It has also given us an opening to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and partners to progress the impact of renewable energy in Nigeria. We would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to USADF and All On,” said Augustine Ureh, C.O.O of Darway Coast.
According to Washima Mede, CEO of Prado Power Limited, “It has not been easy bootstrapping and trying to gain traction as a new business. Thankfully, there are organizations like USADF and All On who have the development of this sector at heart. The USADF/All-On grant-loan has given us the chance to amplify our work, and we see ourselves on the path to making reasonable impact on the quality of life for the people in terms of the energy situation. Many thanks to USADF and All On who are working very transparently and assiduously to help bring a solution to the energy debacle in Nigeria. We are beneficiaries, amongst many others, and the whole nation will benefit as result.”
All On, an independent impact investing company, was seeded with funding from Shell, and works with partners to increase access to commercial energy products and services for under-served and un-served off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta. All On invests in off-grid energy solutions spanning solar, wind, hydro, biomass and gas technologies deployed by both foreign and local access-to-energy companies that complement available grid power across Nigeria and help bridge the significant energy gap.
The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is an independent U.S. Government agency established by Congress to support African-owned community and social enterprises which improve lives and livelihoods in underserved communities. Utilizing a community-led development approach, USADF invests directly to provide seed capital and local project management assistance to early stage enterprises addressing local challenges such as food security, energy access and women and youth. Annually, our grant assistance for enterprise development and expansion generates approximately $100 million dollars in new local economic activity throughout Africa’s Sahel, Horn and Great Lakes Regions, reducing poverty, creating peace and economic stability, and putting millions on a pathway to prosperity.
Two out of three people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. In 2013, Power Africa was launched, bringing together technical and legal experts, the private sector, and governments from around the world to work in partnership to increase the number of people with access to power. Power Africa’s goal is to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections across sub-Saharan Africa; in Nigeria, Power Africa’s goals are 3 million connections and 10,000 MW. Led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Power Africa works in partnership with USADF and ten other U.S. departments and agencies, 18 development partners and over 145 private sector partners to increase energy access on the Continent and improve the lives of millions
 and All On have officially opened the application window for the 2019 Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge, which will provide up to $100,000 in blended finance per enterprise for the successful applicants. The 2019 application window opens on February 1st and closes on March 15th, 2019.){kind=link}