Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has connected approximately 65,000 consumers to electricity across Africa since 2020 through the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor results-based finance initiative. This milestone aligns with many governments’ broader strategies to expand energy access through the deployment of renewable energy, and highlights the role blended financing can play in advancing Africa’s clean energy plans.
SEForAll’s milestone follows the $16.5 million deployment of a mini-grid connecting 10,500 consumers to electricity and approximately $10.5 million in spending on 2,835 large rooftop standalone solar power systems. This investment forms part of the $74 million mobilized through the UEF platform and demonstrates how results-based financing structures are being used to accelerate private sector participation in Africa’s off-grid electrification markets.
Blended finance: Catalyzing energy access, economic growth and climate action
With more than 600 million people living without access to electricity, expanding energy access in Africa is a strategic priority for many countries. SEforALL’s UEF aims to address this challenge by mobilizing public and private capital across renewable energy projects. By leveraging blended financing, the facility will have access to a broader pool of capital, strengthening its position to fund projects across the continent.
In an exclusive interview with Energy Capital & Power, UEF Senior Director Anita Otubu highlighted that projects implemented through the facility have provided electricity access to 3,921 businesses, 26 healthcare facilities and 35 educational institutions. These projects have also advanced the continent’s climate change agenda by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing environmental sustainability.
“We are focused on demonstrating climate impact, and in total these projects avoided approximately 65,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. By leveraging blended financing, we facilitated an additional $20 million in private investment and achieved these results while supporting the livelihoods of 45,000 people,” Otubu said.
She further explained that “SMEs benefiting from these projects will be able to operate longer and generate more revenue, strengthening economic activity across the communities involved.”
Expanding off-grid electrification in Sierra Leone
to buildAmong its advances, SEforALL is moving towards connecting more people to power solutions by expanding its renewable energy portfolio in 2026. The organization’s strategy in Sierra Leone, where only 36% of the population has access to electricity, clearly reflects this.
SEforAll has issued a call for pre-qualification applications in January 2026 to invite renewable energy companies to participate in the deployment of mini-grids under Sierra Leone’s Off-Grid Renewable Energy Accelerator Program. This government-backed initiative, backed by the European Union and the Danish government, aims to install at least 324 mini-grids and provide more than 25,000 new connections by 2028.
“Sierra Leone has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world, with most access to electricity concentrated in the capital, Freetown. This limited access hinders rural development and impacts schools and health facilities. Unreliable or absent electricity supply can have serious consequences for lives and livelihoods,” Otubu said.
Mini-grid programs help address the high costs associated with deploying utility-scale generation, energy transmission, and distribution infrastructure to connect new consumers across the country.
Beyond UEF: SEforALL advances Mission 300
SEforAll is also prioritizing the implementation of the World Bank and African Development Bank-led Mission 300 initiative. This is a continent-wide program aimed at connecting approximately 300 million new consumers to electricity. The Mission 300 program has connected 39 million people to electricity across Africa since July 2023, and SEforALL and other partners are looking to expand it further.
“Achieving SDG 7 requires closing the energy access gap by 2030, and the Mission 300 initiative aims to address half of that challenge and connect 300 million people to electricity. For the first time, international financial institutions and development partners will work together to address the barriers that have historically limited the scale needed to achieve this goal,” said Ortub.
As African countries step up efforts to close the electricity access gap on the continent, initiatives such as the Universal Energy Facility demonstrate how performance-based financing and mixed capital structures can accelerate large-scale deployment of renewable energy.
