Eight Nigerian companies win $1.5m clean energy grants

By Adebayo Obajemu

Eight Nigerian companies have secured a share of a $1.5 million clean energy fund aimed at expanding access to solar-powered productive appliances for entrepreneurs and small businesses across Africa.

The funding, awarded under the Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF), was announced by global non-profit organisation CLASP during the Adaptation Investment Summit 2026 in Nairobi. The initiative is managed by CLASP with support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).Energy & Utilities

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, CLASP’s Senior Director for Africa, Emmanuel Aziebor, said the programme is expected to deploy about 3,800 productive-use appliances while creating more than 3,000 green jobs across the participating countries.

According to Aziebor, the selected beneficiaries include eight companies from Nigeria, six from Kenya and five from Ethiopia. The funding is designed to reduce the upfront cost of manufacturing and distributing solar-powered equipment, making clean energy technologies more affordable for farmers, entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The supported technologies include solar-powered irrigation pumps, refrigeration systems, milling machines and other productive-use appliances that help businesses increase output, cut operating costs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Aziebor noted that expanding access to productive-use energy technologies is essential to unlocking Africa’s economic potential, stressing that electricity access alone is not enough without investments that enable businesses to grow.

“The technologies already exist. The challenge is making them accessible to the entrepreneurs who need them most. Through PUFF, we are helping to bridge that gap so that more businesses can invest, grow and drive local economic development,” he said.

He added that productive-use appliances currently serve less than one per cent of Africa’s addressable market, despite estimates showing the sector could generate nearly $16 billion in annual income and create up to 50 million jobs across the continent over the next decade.

GEAPP Vice-President for Africa, Carol Koech, said affordable financing remains critical to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies by African businesses. She explained that the partnership combines finance, technology, market access and supportive policies to promote inclusive economic growth while advancing the continent’s clean energy transition.Energy & Utilities

CLASP Senior Manager William Mulehi said the second phase of the funding programme will help participating businesses overcome investment barriers, expand their customer base and enter new markets. He noted that the facility’s first phase, implemented between 2022 and 2024, provided $2.7 million in funding, supporting the deployment of nearly 16,000 productive-use appliances and directly benefiting more than 53,000 people across Africa.