West Africa Solar Mini-Grid Programme – 500MW Distributed Energy Initiative

Requirement

The West Africa Solar Mini-Grid Programme represents one of the most ambitious distributed renewable energy initiatives on the African continent. This transformative $150 million programme aims to deploy 500MW of solar mini-grid capacity across Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire, bringing reliable clean energy to over 2 million people currently underserved by national grids. The programme is structured as a portfolio of 200+ mini-grid projects ranging from 500kW to 5MW each, strategically located to serve agricultural processing zones, rural healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and emerging commercial centres. Each site has been pre-assessed for solar irradiance (averaging 5.5 kWh/m²/day), load profiles, and community ability-to-pay, ensuring technical and commercial viability. We are seeking investment partners, EPC contractors with African mini-grid experience, and operations and maintenance providers to join this consortium. The programme benefits from power purchase agreements with anchor off-takers in each location, de-risking mechanisms from development finance institutions, and carbon credit eligibility under international standards. The regulatory environment is highly supportive: Nigeria's REA mini-grid framework, Ghana's net-metering policies, Senegal's rural electrification agency partnerships, and Côte d'Ivoire's renewable energy targets all provide strong foundations. Currency hedging facilities and local currency financing options are available through DFI partnerships. Projected returns range from 12-18% IRR depending on site mix and financing structure, with first commercial operations targeted within 18 months of financial close.