Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up Project

The development objective of the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-Up Project for Nigeria is to increase access to electricity services for households and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with private sector led distributed renewable energy generation. The project comprises of three components. The first component, solar hybrid mini grids for economic development will support the development of privately owned and operated solar hybrid mini grids in unserved (primarily rural and remote) and underserved (primarily urban and peri-urban) areas with high economic growth potential. It consists of following sub-components: (i) minimum subsidy tender; and (ii) performance-based grants program. The second component, standalone solar systems (SAS) for households, MSMEs, and agribusinesses will expand the availability and affordability of SAS for households (basic electrification), MSMEs, and agribusinesses (PUE support) in rural areas. It consists of following sub-components: (i) performance-based grants for standalone solar; and (ii) catalytic grants. The third component, technical assistance will be supported by parallel financing and collaboration from various development partners, such as Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), etc., to create an ecosystem for universal electrification. It consists of following sub-components: (i) institutional strengthening; (ii) distributed access through renewable energy scale-up (DARES) ecosystem and implementation; and (iii) engagement with states.