REA, Partners Launch $188m Fund To Expand Solar Power Capacity By 191MW Across Nigeria

REA, Partners Launch $188m Fund To Expand Solar Power Capacity By 191MW Across Nigeria

REA and partners launch $188m fund to expand distributed solar capacity, targeting 191MW across Nigeria’s energy landscape.

Barton Heyman Limited in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), UK PACT, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), and ARMHIIL, are set to raise $188 million to finance 191 megawatts of distributed solar capacity for households, communities, and businesses across Nigeria.

Coming under the Green Finance Investment Facility (GFIF), it is a blended finance platform to mobilise large-scale private and institutional investment into distributed renewable energy infrastructure across Nigeria.

The initiative also supports the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) programme, a national effort to expand electricity access through decentralised renewable energy solutions, a statement in Abuja stated.

Launched in Lagos, the platform brought together financial institutions, renewable energy developers, policymakers, and development finance stakeholders. Its goal is to unlock financing solutions that accelerate energy access, reduce financing gaps, and support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy systems.

Speaking at the launch, the Managing Partner of Barton Heyman Limited, Olumide Lala, described the facility as a market-driven model capable of unlocking private capital at scale for Nigeria’s energy transition.

“The Green Finance Investment Facility is more than a financing arrangement; it represents direct support for over one million Nigerians. Nigeria’s distributed renewable energy sector can be financed using a private-sector framework that leverages sovereign pipelines, results-based funding, and commercial loans to attract private capital at the national level. This is our initial step to raise $40 billion to finance 20 gigawatts of distributed renewable energy,” he said.

In his remarks, Senior Partner, Barton Heyman, Anthony Feyitimi, said: “The Green Finance and Investment Facility is not simply about clean energy. It is about what reliable, distributed power makes possible for Nigeria’s economy. Every megawatt we finance is a business that can operate, a supply chain that can function, a community that can compete.

“We have structured a blended finance platform that brings together sovereign pipelines, results-based funding, and commercial capital into a single, replicable facility. The GFIF Pilot is our first $188 million step. The platform’s ambition is $40 billion and 20 gigawatts. We are building it from Nigeria, for Nigeria.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the initiative directly addresses one of the sector’s most pressing constraints, access to finance.

“The Green Finance Investment Facility can tackle access to finance, one of the main barriers to renewable energy deployment. Today’s launch is the outcome of a strategic partnership created to ensure communities lacking reliable power can access electricity. We are proud of what this facility signifies for Nigeria’s energy future,” he stated.

Aliyu further explained that the GFIF was pioneered by the REA as a long-term institutional framework designed to replace the fragmented, project-by-project financing models of the past with a scalable and sustainable funding ecosystem.

Speaking on behalf of FCMB, Senior Vice President and Divisional Head, Business Banking Group, George Ogbonnaya, highlighted the bank’s expanding role in renewable energy financing and inclusive infrastructure development.

“FCMB has established itself as a leading renewable energy financing institution, serving as a first-time lender to many players driving growth in the sector. We have committed N100 billion in debt financing for DARES.

“Currently, we are funding over eight developers under the DARES isolated mini-grid Performance-Based Grant programme and finalising funding for another seven developers. We will continue to support developers in scaling and meeting electrification targets, improving quality of life in rural and peri-urban communities. This aligns strongly with our purpose of fostering sustainable growth within the communities we serve,” he said.

He further disclosed that FCMB has financed more than 42 mini-grid projects and is supporting efforts to connect over 2 million households, in line with Nigeria’s national electrification objectives.

Also, Chief Investment Officer at ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Limited (ARMHIIL), Derek Chime, called for deeper collaboration across the ecosystem to unlock more investment into renewable energy infrastructure.

Deputy Head of Mission at the British High Commission in Lagos, Simon Field, reaffirmed UK PACT’s commitment to strengthening green finance frameworks and expanding renewable energy adoption in Nigeria.

Special Adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy to the Governor of Lagos State, Titilayo Oshodi, stressed the importance of coordinated investment, innovation, and policy support in accelerating sustainable energy access.

Stakeholders at the launch noted that initiatives like GFIF are critical to mobilising long-term capital, reducing investment risk, and accelerating the deployment of clean energy solutions to power communities nationwide.

While the REA anchors the project pipeline and results-based financing mechanisms, Barton Heyman leads the blended finance structuring.