Lagos, Nigeria | 25 July 2025— InfraCredit, a ‘AAA’-rated specialised infrastructure credit guarantee institution, and the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA), a pan-African industry association representing private sector renewable energy minigrid developers and operators committed to scaling distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions across the continent, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to strengthen market development efforts and facilitate access to long-term local currency financing for minigrid and DRE development.
The partnership is in alignment with InfraCredit’s Clean Energy Funding Programme (CEFP), which was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders to enable minigrid and DRE developers access domestic blended finance through credit enhancement, alongside streamlined due diligence, technical capacity development and other project preparation supports. With an existing pipeline of eligible developers in Nigeria and plans to collaborate with partners to deepen knowledge exchange and peer learning across other African markets, this collaboration creates a platform for scaling local currency finance and unlocking greater opportunities to mobilize domestic capital for sustainable infrastructure and private sector growth.
AMDA, with a network of minigrid developers operating in over 20 African countries, brings deep sector knowledge, policy advocacy experience, and a strong ecosystem of DRE operators to this partnership. Under the Agreement, both parties will collaborate to facilitate technical assistance, build capacity with toolkits and credit modelling frameworks (such as InfraCredit’s Distributed Renewable Energy Lending Toolkit (DRELT) and DRE Credit Rating Model) and co-develop scalable solutions that address the sector’s long-standing barriers to accessing patient, local currency infrastructure finance.
Commenting on the collaboration, Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit, stated: “With 86 million Nigerians and hundreds of millions more across Africa lacking electricity access, closing this gap requires a pipeline of well-prepared, investment-ready projects capable of unlocking scalable capital and accelerating time to financial close. This partnership offers a broader pathway to replicate and scale the successes of our Clean Energy funding model by enhancing the capacity of more developers to prepare commercially viable minigrid and DRE projects that can access long-term local currency finance. By aligning AMDA’s strong regional network and market insights with InfraCredit’s product knowledge, credit enhancement solutions and technical toolkits, we can, through our knowledge exchange platform, strengthen developers’ capacity, deepen local participation, and foster market readiness within Nigeria, with opportunities to extend this impact across other African markets, ultimately unlocking energy access that drives local enterprise, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.”
In his remarks, ‘Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of AMDA, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with InfraCredit to address one of the most persistent barriers in the minigrid sector—access to affordable, long-term local currency finance. This partnership aims to bridge the needs of minigrid companies with financial innovation, unlocking real opportunities to scale investment-ready projects. By aligning AMDA’s advocacy and technical support efforts with InfraCredit’s proven models and tools, we aim to accelerate deployment of resilient, decentralised energy solutions that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits in Africa. In our capacity as a pan-African organization, we view this partnership as a blueprint that will be used beyond borders, paving the way for broader regional impact.“
The agreement further establishes joint efforts to develop transaction-ready pipelines, advance capacity-building through the convenance of targeted knowledge-sharing forums between investors and developers. By strengthening upstream project preparation and promoting market transparency, both parties aim to accelerate the deployment of commercially viable minigrids and enhance energy access outcomes across unserved and underserved African communities.
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Contacts:
- AMDA Media Enquiries communications@africamda.org +254 703653049
- Infracredit Media Enquiries info@infracredit.ng /communication@infracredit.ng +234 6312300
About InfraCredit
InfraCredit (www.infracredit.ng) was established in 2017 as a first-of-its-kind ‘AAA’(NG) rated specialised local currency infrastructure credit guarantee institution, created to support long-term local currency infrastructure financing in Nigeria. InfraCredit’s guarantees enhance the credit quality of local currency debt instruments issued to finance eligible infrastructure-related assets. Its guarantees serve as a catalyst to attract long-term domestic institutional capital from pension funds, insurance firms, and other investors, thereby deepening Nigeria’s debt capital markets. InfraCredit’s investors include the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (through PIDG and MOBILIST), KfW Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, and African Development Bank, alongside domestic pension funds and insurance firms. As at April 2025, InfraCredit was listed as a public company and admitted to trading on the NASD. It maintains the highest domestic financial strength ratings accorded to any financial institution by Agusto & Co., Global Credit Ratings, and international rating agency, Fitch Ratings.
About AMDA
The Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) is an industry association formed by private sector minigrid developers and development partners dedicated to improving the political and financial environments for minigrid companies in Africa. AMDA serves as the unified voice for minigrid developers, working to accelerate their path to scale and sustainability in achieving universal access to sustainable, reliable, affordable, and modern energy across the continent. Currently, AMDA has over 59 member companies operating in 24 African countries. Learn more about AMDA at africamda.org and follow us on LinkedIn and X.