Power shot Nigeria’s energy sector is receiving a US$64 million boost, with a focus on renewables and efficiency. This is through extension funding via the Nigerian Energy Support programme (NESP), a technical assistance initiative (co-funded by the EU and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development) to support the West African nation’s government in developing sustainable energy policies and regulatory instruments. Total funding now comprises an additional US$20 million to the initial US$27 million from the EU, and US$17 million from the German government. The second phase of the NESP is expected to continue until May 2023, with a shift in focus from Phase One’s framework support to implementation, including a minigrid-acceleration scheme and the interconnected minigrid-acceleration scheme. To date, 3 000 settlements and 2.6 million buildings have been remotely mapped, with more than 50 000 km of electricity grid tracked across 22 Nigerian states. 12 October 2021 Image: Gallo/Getty Images