Bridging Nigeria's Critical Energy Gap to Achieve Food Sovereignty
A significant new partnership is addressing one of Nigeria's most pressing agricultural challenges: the severe energy deficit that undermines food production and security. Despite women constituting up to 60 percent of Africa's agricultural workforce, they face substantial barriers in accessing reliable energy and modern farming tools. In Nigeria, this vital sector receives a mere two percent of the nation's electricity supply, a primary factor behind the alarming 40 percent post-harvest losses that threaten regional food stability.
Strategic Collaboration for Agricultural Transformation
To confront this issue, a multi-year strategic collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has launched the Energizing Women and Youth in Agri-Food Systems (EWAS) Programme. This innovative initiative moves beyond traditional aid approaches by treating renewable energy as a foundational productive asset for industrialization. The program specifically targets Nigeria and Ethiopia, aiming to create 17,000 jobs with particular focus on empowering young women in rural agricultural communities.
The EWAS Programme represents a paradigm shift in how we approach agricultural development, explained Muhammad Wakil, Country Delivery Lead in Nigeria for the Global Energy Alliance. By integrating clean energy solutions directly into farming operations, we're creating sustainable pathways for economic growth and food security.
Three-Pronged Approach to Agricultural Empowerment
The program is structured to deliver measurable progress across three high-impact areas:
- Gender-Inclusive Job Creation: The initiative is designed to create 17,000 jobs, specifically targeting young women in Nigeria and Ethiopia to help close the persistent gender earnings gap in rural economies.
- Technological Scaling: By integrating solar-powered irrigation systems and walk-in cold storage facilities, the programme stabilizes value chains in poultry, horticulture, and milling operations.
- De-risking Finance: Utilizing the Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF), the programme provides results-based subsidies and capacity-building grants to make green technologies affordable for farming communities and agricultural SMEs.
Why Nigeria and Ethiopia Were Selected
Wakil elaborated on the strategic choice of Nigeria and Ethiopia as the program's initial focus countries. These two nations were selected due to their combined rural populations exceeding 300 million people and the essential role agriculture plays in their economies, he stated. They present a unique opportunity to scale energy access programs amid rapidly growing populations while harnessing the tremendous potential of their youth demographics.
The program will concentrate on key agricultural sectors including coffee processing, cold storage, milling operations, apiculture, poultry farming, horticulture, and agro-processing hubs. This targeted approach builds on successful previous programs like the Global Energy Alliance's Energising Agriculture Program, a collaboration between the Alliance, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), and Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency.
Alignment with Broader Development Strategies
EWAS aligns with Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy, which strives to create 30 million jobs for young Africans, with particular emphasis on women, by 2030. Simultaneously, the program supports the Global Energy Alliance's mission to expand clean energy access to one billion people globally, reduce four gigatons of carbon emissions, and create 150 million new jobs worldwide.
This initiative addresses one of Africa's most significant challenges: utilizing clean energy to drive agricultural growth, boost productivity, and build resilient food systems, Wakil emphasized. EWAS demonstrates the potential for scalable solutions that can be replicated across the continent.
Implementation and Future Prospects
Following successful inception phases in 2024 and 2025, the EWAS team is now implementing the first wave of projects, working closely with partners including RMI, local businesses, and program participants to drive tangible impact on the ground. The program operates through a consortium of partners that includes Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in Nigeria and various local enterprises.
As the Federal Government intensifies its focus on Food Sovereignty in 2026, the EWAS model offers a proven pathway for localized, energy-driven innovation that diversifies the country's economic output while stimulating productive and inclusive growth. By shifting from mere energy access to power for productivity, the program aims to tackle the interconnected challenges of climate crisis and economic inequality simultaneously.
We're leveraging existing agricultural investments to foster a more resilient green economy, Wakil concluded. This represents a fundamental transformation in how energy and agriculture intersect for sustainable development.
