Nigeria is set to benefit from a fresh $50 million World Bank-backed initiative to expand solar-powered agricultural solutions across six African countries, as efforts grow to cut food waste, boost productivity, and expand clean energy access.
Programme updates show the funding will support solar-powered cold rooms, refrigerators, water pumps, and grain mills in Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with implementation led by Clasp, a Washington-based non-profit focused on energy efficiency and clean energy adoption.
The News Chronicle understands that the project is gaining momentum among development partners, with the Rockefeller Foundation having already committed $12 million and indicating it may add more resources as execution progresses in each country.
The support is being channelled through the Productive Use Financing Facility under Mission 300, a major push backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank to expand electricity access for 300 million Africans by 2030.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s largest hotspot for energy poverty, with hundreds of millions still without reliable power.
For Nigeria, the expansion is expected to strengthen the agricultural value chain, especially by reducing post-harvest losses linked to poor storage and limited processing capacity.
By improving access to solar-powered refrigeration and irrigation tools, the programme is expected to help farmers preserve produce longer, reach better markets, and increase earnings while supporting cleaner energy growth.
