Grant Awarded to Solar Sister, Nigeria from the Nigerian Electrification Agency
Abuja, Nigeria, May 19, 2021
The Nigerian Electrification Project (NEP), implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) with support from the World Bank signed a grant agreement with Solar Sister, Nigeria for the Solar Homes Systems project.
Solar Sister will be partnering with the REA to reach underserved Nigerian households and micro enterprises and help close the energy gap in Nigeria through the Solar Homes System Project (SHS). This project will provide access to better energy services at a lower cost than their current service. The target beneficiaries are those that lack connection to energy services and do not expect a connection in the near future or they suffer from unreliable and expensive power and do not expect that to change.
The grant support provided through NEP will aim to leverage other sources of finance such as a company’s own equity, equity from investors, and facilitate more access to credit by reducing the risk to lending agencies.
We are thrilled that Solar Sister is participating in Rural Electrification Agency’s innovative, leading-edge output-based financing program. This facility will support the distribution of solar home systems throughout our network of rural women Solar Sister Entrepreneurs and benefit the households in hard-to-reach last mile communities by giving them access to renewable energy to power their lives.” Katherine Lucey, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Sister.
Solar Sister Entrepreneurs, Nigeria are teachers, farmers, mothers, grandmothers, providers, cooks and nurses. They manage households. They manage energy. Solar Sister Entrepreneurs transform communities with affordable, reliable clean energy. Partnering with the REA Solar Sister will be able to reach more households in Nigeria and help bring clean energy to more people.
About Solar Sister:
Solar Sister aims to eradicate energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity. Solar Sister combines clean energy technology with a deliberately woman-centered direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to rural communities in Tanzania and Nigeria. To date Solar Sister has reached 500,000 people with clean energy.
Find more information on the REA Grant.
Media Contact:
Joanna Pinneo, USA, joanna@solarsister.org and Olasimbo Sojinrin, Nigeria, olasimbo@solarsister.org