To date, Nigeria remains the country with the largest energy access deficit in the world. Presently, 85 million Nigerians don’t have access to grid electricity, and 175 million don’t have access to clean cooking solutions. Solar Sister Nigeria was established in 2014 to recruit, train and support women to kickstart clean energy businesses to eradicate energy poverty across the country.
In July 2023, in partnership with the Government of Canada, Solar Sister, and Acumen partnered to support internally displaced women in 12 communities across the three disaster-stricken states (Taraba, Benue, and Nassarawa) to develop and maintain clean energy businesses through economic strengthening and capacity building. This partnership will catalyze resilience and adaptation in these communities and provide economic opportunity in the affected regions.
When major floods disrupted activities across Nigeria, displacing over 1.4 million people and killing 603 in October 2022, Solar Sister offered support calls and visits to entrepreneurs that the floods have impacted.
The socio-economic effect of the flooding has deeper cross-cutting casualties on the rural Nigerian women in the affected communities, as they are primarily the most vulnerable cut across many sectors. In addition to the household burden, women represent a large portion of the workforce in rural agriculture and small-scale, informal enterprises. Many rural women are classified as unpaid or underpaid laborers, although women contribute to over 70% of food production through farming. The flooding has likely deepened the affected women’s vulnerability with increased financial, security, and agency risk.
As primary household energy managers with powerful social networks, women are uniquely positioned to bring clean energy to last-mile communities. Creating business opportunities for women that provide access to gainful employment while addressing affordable, clean energy solutions is Solar Sister’s and Acumen’s solution to addressing root causes of inequality, leading to economic empowerment for women and sustainable development capable of addressing the planet’s energy needs.
About Solar Sister:
Headquartered in Lagos, Solar Sister Nigeria has a presence in 30 states across the country. Solar Sister has a strong network of over 3,500 Solar Sister Entrepreneurs who are advancing the Nigerian-distributed solar energy market through quality products and-post point of sale service to customers’ doorsteps. To date, Solar Sister entrepreneurs have brought clean energy access to over 1.46M beneficiaries.
About Acumen:
Acumen is changing the way the world tackles poverty by investing in companies, leaders, and ideas. We invest Patient Capital in businesses whose products and services are enabling the poor to transform their lives. Founded by Jacqueline Novogratz in 2001, Acumen has invested more than $154 million in 167 companies across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. We are also developing a global community of emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and determination to create a more inclusive world. In 2015, Acumen was named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Not-for-Profit Companies. Learn more at www.acumen.org and on Twitter @Acumen.
