The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), through the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP) - Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) Project, is excited to announce the official launch of two market-shaping sub-components under the Standalone Solar Systems (SAS) Component: Solar for Business (SFB) and Productive Use of Energy (PUE). These initiatives are designed to move Nigeria from access to impact, turning energy access into productivity, jobs and growth for businesses and communities across the country.

The roundtable marked one year of DARES implementation and served as a critical stock-taking forum to assess achievements across the programme’s core components; Solar Hybrid Mini-Grids and Stand-Alone Solar (SAS), while addressing operational bottlenecks, compliance requirements, and upcoming programme expansions. It also provided a platform for open dialogue, allowing stakeholders to interrogate programme data, seek clarifications, and jointly prepare for the next phase of implementation.

Solar for Business (SFB):

Solar for Business (SFB) is a new SAS sub-component designed to provide clean, reliable electricity to MSMEs and local economic clusters.

Who SFB Will Serve

• Micro and small businesses in markets and business clusters
• Blue-collar hubs: welders, tailors, salons, ICT shops
• Agro-processing businesses requiring 1 - 100 kVA systems
• Underserved, peri-urban, and rural MSME communities

Productive Use of Energy (PUE):

Providing a comprehensive update on NEP–PBG legacy projects now being settled under DARES, the Project Manager for Isolated Mini-Grids, Engr. Stanley Onwunumah, disclosed that 28,900 connections across 64 sites are eligible for payment, amounting to USD 13.005 million under the DARES–NEP legacy arrangement.

The Productive Use of Energy (PUE) sub-component will support the distribution of standalone solar-powered productive equipment and appliance to smallholder farmers to increase yields and boost food security. These include:

• Cold rooms and cold storage
• Agro-processing equipment
• Solar irrigation
• Solar Telephony Kiosks
• Battery-swap & charge stations

Who PUE Is Designed For

• Smallholder farmers (under 10 hectares)
• Rural cooperatives
• Food processors
• Cold-chain businesses
• Women-led and youth-led enterprises
• Community-based MSMEs

📢 Application Alert!

The application window will open on December 18 2025 and remain open for four weeks, closing on Friday, January 16, 2026.

💻How to Apply

Applications for the Solar for Business (SFB) and Productive Use of Energy (PUE) components are submitted online via the Odyssey platform. Interested developers should register and complete onboarding on the platform during the application window.

Click here to apply

📞 Support and Enquiries

• Tollfree: 0800 2020 2020
• Mobile line: 0906 999 4099
• WhatsApp: 0811 111 1384
• Email: nep@rea.gov.ng
• Live Chat: www.nep.rea.gov.ng