TECHDIGEST – The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and All On today announced the official opening of the 2022 Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge, which will provide up to $100,000 in blended finance to each selected enterprise.

The Rockefeller Foundation, anchor partner of the recently launched Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, is also providing support to the All On Hub for the 2022 Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge.

“We remain extremely encouraged that the Challenge is able to fund another cohort of strong winners in spite of a continued challenging Covid environment,” said Wiebe Boer, CEO, All On. “Eight of the 13 winning enterprises in 2021 included women in leadership roles, and we hope to see this number grow this year.”

The annual Challenge is a multi-year partnership that identifies and helps scale innovative off-grid solutions to “power up” unserved and underserved areas in Nigeria. The Challenge is delivered through a five-year partnership between USADF, a founding member of the U.S.-led Power Africa Initiative and an independent U.S. Government agency established by Congress to support and invest in African-owned and led enterprises, and All On, a Nigerian impact investing company seeded by Shell that invests in off-grid energy solution providers in Nigeria.

Entering the final year of the recently expanded five-year partnership, the parties will jointly provide funding to 100 percent 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 Challenge has awarded funds to 37 companies to date, totaling $3.7 million in blended finance. Since inception, the Challenge has impacted an estimated 16,000 people, including 4,000 smallholder farmers, through clean energy.

“Insufficient energy access has stifled economic activity, private investment, and job creation in Nigeria, all of which is needed to lift more than 100 million people out of poverty there and set them on a path to prosperity through improved livelihoods,” said Travis Adkins, USADF president and CEO.

“We’re proud that this force multiplier partnership serves as a model for supporting African enterprises in finding innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver clean energy to underserved and marginalized communities across Nigeria while combating climate change, consistent with the Paris Agreement and sustainable development goals.”

A key difference in the 2022 Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge will be a focus on the intersection of agriculture and clean energy, an even more targeted focus on productive use applications than in previous years.

“We are extremely proud of the continued success of the collaboration between The Rockefeller Foundation, the newly launched Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and the All On Hub,” said Joseph Nganga, managing director of GEAPP in Africa. “The Hub has been instrumental in nurturing Nigerian enterprises that are making a difference in communities throughout Nigeria, and this Challenge is an excellent opportunity to accelerate our shared mission to nurture green businesses and jobs in the communities that are most in need.”

Benefits

The 2022 Challenge is intended to identify a range of enterprises with solutions that will solve pain points and challenges that ultimately improve livelihoods and local economies in Nigeria.

The Challenge will provide up to $100,000 per successful enterprise
The application window is open until March 18, 2022

The collaboration is between USADF, All On, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Up to $50,000 will be provided in the form of convertible debt from All On along with up to $50,000 in grant capital provided by USADF and the Rockefeller Foundation through the All On Hub for each selected company.

Winners of the Challenge will be selected based on their demonstrated abilities to increase sustainable energy access, specifically off-grid solutions, and extend the delivery of electrification to unserved as well as underserved communities throughout Nigeria.

Eligibility

Eligible enterprises may be developers of their own technology and/or acquiring and implementing technologies developed elsewhere

All applicants must be legally registered in Nigeria, be 100 percent African-owned and operated, and demonstrate the capacity to track and manage project resources
Enterprises must operate in good standing with the local governments in their areas of operation

How to apply

Apply for the 2022 edition of Nigeria Off-Grid Energy ChallengeApply for the 2022 edition of Nigeria Off-Grid Energy Challenge before the deadline Friday, on March 18, 2022.

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TECHDIGEST – As part of its commitment to supporting economic and human development initiatives, the U.S. government has decided through its Consulate in Nigeria to kit 70 Nigerians on a 6-week digital and employability skills program.

The empowerment, which is coming from United States African Development Foundation (USADF) under its Employability Support Project in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), will help create job opportunities and facilitate improved sustainable economic growth and development.

According to a press statement, the employability training program is aimed at creating more job opportunities for youths in the state, reducing unemployment and improving economic growth, and will also equip participants with digital and management skills that will enable them to contribute to the growth of various organizations.

After an intensive six weeks of training, more than 70 youths participated in the first cohort graduation ceremony, which was held at the American Space in Ikeja, Lagos. American Spaces are opened to young Nigerians looking to develop ideas, as well as leadership and entrepreneurship skills through programs and workshops designed especially for them.

Speaking at the event, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ibelli highlighted the importance of small businesses in spurring economic growth and boosting shared prosperity.

“For Nigeria to succeed, the men and women who create businesses or hope to develop new businesses and job opportunities must succeed. Ideas for new products or improved services will produce the growth, jobs and incomes that will lead to a more prosperous and stable Nigeria,” Ibelli said.

Ibelli explained that the U.S. Mission in Nigeria supports a variety of exchange programs each year focused on promoting entrepreneurship and technological innovation.

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