By Hussaini Garba Mohammed
In a press statement issued by the Communications Officer, José Otárola-Silesky, Media department, Universal Energy Facility, today stated that the UEF, lunches # Financing Energy Prosperity Campaign showcasing the Life-Changing power of Clean Energy Investments in Africa.
About Universal Energy Facility (UEF)
The Universal Energy Facility (UEF) was established to significantly speed up and scale up energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, in line with SDG7 and the Paris Agreement. The UEF provides incentive payments to eligible organisations deploying energy solutions and providing verified end-user electricity connections (including mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems) and clean cooking solutions based on pre-determined standards.
The facility is managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and supported by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Shell Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, Africa Mini-grid Developers Association, Power Africa, Good Energies, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Carbon Trust, IKEA Foundation, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
· SEforALL’s managed Universal Energy Facility launches campaign that makes a case for building clean energy markets in Africa
·#FinancingEnergyProsperity Campaign will showcase the success of the UEF as an efficient mechanism to provide reliable, sustainable energy for all
· The UEF has so far issued USD 22 million in grants to clean energy companies, for approximately 10,000 new or improved energy connections and 6,000 kWp
The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor results-based financing (RBF) facility managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), has launched #FinancingEnergyProsperity: a communications campaign seeking to raise awareness of the need to collaborate in building Africa’s local clean energy markets.
Access to sustainable energy is key to promoting socio-economic development. At the same time, it contributes to the displacement of diesel generators and other polluting energy sources as a clear contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change.
The initiative will take the public to different communities in Africa to experience firsthand what it is to live without electricity and how life can dramatically change after the UEF and its partners deploy clean energy solutions. This will allow businesses, schools, and health facilities to serve more people and expand the services offered.
The statement further stated that, as quoted by Senior Director of the UEF, Anita Otubu: “I am very excited about the important stories that will be shared by the beneficiaries in the coming months. People will have the opportunity to witness the success of the UEF as an efficient and secure mechanism for donors, governments and the private sector to mainstream efforts to provide reliable and sustainable energy to underserved and unserved communities,”
With approximately 600 million people lacking access to energy in Africa, the UEF became an instrumental partner in developing and strengthening clean energy markets in countries such as Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
The UEF’s financial support to clean energy projects in these countries, along with strategic and technical advice to the private sector and governments, have translated into more than USD 22 million in grants committed to clean energy companies, almost 10,000 new or improved energy connections and nearly 6,000 total photovoltaic capacity installed (kWp). This means that over 40,000 people currently benefit from clean energy access, and 3,700 average tons of CO2 emissions are reduced or avoided each year. These figures are expected to grow significantly as several UEF-funded projects are on track to be completed by the end of this year.
The UEF grants are also set to catalyse additional funding from other financing sources, enabling clean energy companies to expand operations and create more green jobs.
“#FinancingEnergyProsperity isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the transformative power of clean energy access. By showcasing real stories of lives impacted, we aim to inspire continued investment and collaboration. Together, we can unlock the full potential of sustainable energy to improve thousands of lives and bring socio-economic development to Africa,” said Sherry Kennedy, Communications Director, SEforALL.
#FinancingEnergyProsperity will showcase these results and their impact from a human perspective. Several stories have been gathered to provide the names and faces of those directly impacted by the UEF’s work and the support of its partners. Watch our campaign video.
Join our campaign by spreading the word on social media about the urgent need for clean energy investments in Africa. By sharing our content, you’ll help us connect with potential partners who can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of people. Every voice matters!
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Author and Written by:
HUSSAINI GARBA MOHAMMED, FIIM, MCIA, mips, MBA, DoE, Fellow African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC-2020), Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue Media Fellow (BETD), Associate Member, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), PIJ – Fellow-Netherlands