BusinessDay... the voice of business: World Bank Lighting Africa Project:

World Bank Lighting Africa Project:
================================================================================
Emeka Ezekiel on 10 February, 2008 01:00:00
 
The Development Marketplace Grant Competition is part of the Lighting Africa
program, aimed at mobilizing the private sector to provide modern off-grid
lighting to 250 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The 54 finalists are expected to present their ideas to a panel of jurors
during the Lighting Africa 2008, the first global business conference for
off-grid lighting in Africa, holding in Accra, Ghana, on May 5-8, 2008. The
panel will select 10 to 20 winners, who will receive up to N24.8million
($200,000) in seed funding to develop and implement their ideas.
Chris Walsh, Africa Energy Unit of the World Bank told BusinessDay in a
statement "the Development Marketplace team received more than 400 proposals
from  a number of organizations, including private businesses, nongovernmental
organizations, universities, government entities, and individuals. The
popularity of the competition highlights the vast potential for the market and
is the latest indication of the magnitude of global entrepreneurial interest in
tackling energy issues and developing solutions for off-grid lighting in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
"Projects that have made the final list include: distribution of affordable
solar lamps through used clothing networks; a landfill gas system and  plant
based on animal waste; the creation of supply chains and distribution networks
for solar energy systems and light-emitting diodes; and solar electric street
lighting. The projects could be implemented in as many as 23 countries,
including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia".
As part of the conference, Development Marketplace contenders will have the
opportunity to showcase their projects to about 300 participants from the
lighting industry, international financial institutions, private sector,
government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.
Participants will have opportunities to share market and industry knowledge;
establish strategic business partnerships; and gain the  skills, tools, and
capacity to tap into this evolving market area. Registration  is ongoing until
May 2008.
According to Anil Cabraal, World Bank Lead Energy Specialist, "the competition 
 will assist entrepreneurs in moving from innovation to impact.  It provides a
platform for the World Bank Group to team up with the global lighting industry
and local entrepreneurs to offer cheaper, cleaner, more consumer-friendly
products and services into the budding market for off-grid lighting in Africa".
Lighting Africa is a World Bank Group program launched in September 2007 to
catalyze better access to modern lighting services in Sub-Saharan  Africa. Its
goal is catalytic: to mobilize the private sector to reach 250 million
energy-poor customers by 2030 with low-cost, reliable, affordable lighting
services as part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  Lighting Africa
seeks to achieve four objectives: improved low-cost lighting technology and
product innovation; stronger private sector capacity for manufacturing,
marketing, and distribution supply chains; better affordability; and lowering of
transaction costs while mitigating risks. Lighting  Africa aims to help offer
better alternatives for consumers  that spend $40 billion annually on costly,
inefficient, poor-quality,  polluting, fossil fuel based lighting products, a
category dominated by kerosene lanterns that typically account for 10 to 30
percent of household  expenses in Sub Saharan Africa.