No fewer than 19 companies across Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia have received a combined grant of US$1.5 million under the Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF), an initiative managed by Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP), to expand access to solar-powered equipment for small businesses. The funding was announced at the Adaptation Investment Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to boost productivity, create jobs and strengthen local economies.

The programme which aims to deploy 3,800 productive use appliances, including solar-powered water pumps, refrigerators and milling machines, while creating over 3,000 green jobs across the three countries.Eight Nigerian companies were among the beneficiaries selected for the initiative.

Speaking on the initiative, CLASP’s Senior Director for Africa, Emmanuel Aziebor, said improving electricity access must be matched with affordable equipment that enables entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. He noted that the programme would help bridge the gap between energy access and economic opportunity for small businesses across Africa.

According to Aziebor, PUFF previously disbursed US$2.7 million between 2022 and 2024, supporting the sale of nearly 16,000 income-generating appliances that directly benefited more than 53,000 people across Africa. The organisation expressed confidence that the new round of funding would further accelerate job creation, clean energy adoption and sustainable economic growth.

Also speaking, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Carol Koech, said the partnership would improve access to affordable financing for renewable energy technologies, empowering entrepreneurs to expand their businesses while supporting a cleaner energy transition across the continent. (The Guardian)

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