UK Companies Set To Reduce Energy Poverty, Invests £60m In Power Sector

Innovate UK KTN, Global Alliance Africa Project, a United Kingdom-funded knowledge-based program has invested £60m on over 360 electricity projects in Africa.

The Regional Lead by the Global Alliance Africa, Sophie West, said this at the Energy Catalyst Briefing, launch and brokerage event in Abuja.

West said in a statement, “The Energy Catalyst, which is a program aimed at accelerating the innovations needed to end energy poverty on the continent, is one of the UK’s biggest energy access focused grant funding initiatives, having invested more than £60 million in over 360 projects in eight different rounds.”

She said the program is funded by the UK’s Ayrton Fund, part of the UK’s International Climate Finance commitments, and also investment from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), as part of the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) Platform, and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

While appreciating the UK government for its contributions, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA),  Ahmad Salihijo said that every country has its energy challenges and that Nigeria’s efforts are currently targeted at closing the gap across the nation.