UKRI-GCRF SIGMA
A collaborative research project building the evidence base for sustainable, inclusive and well-governed mini-grids across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Around one billion people still lack access to electricity, and Sub-Saharan Africa — with more than 600 million without power — needs special attention. Mini-grids are widely assumed to be a game-changer for rapid, cost-effective and pro-poor electrification, yet the green mini-grid sector has not grown as hoped.
Progress has been patchy — between and within countries, across rural areas and informal urban settlements, and between high- and low-income communities. Among the barriers to scaling up are the absence of mini-grid-specific regulation, unproven business models, demand uncertainty, limited access to finance, and a lack of capacity.
SIGMA improves our understanding of the sustainability, inclusiveness and governance of mini-grids — and those in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular — by developing an improved evidence base and a multi-dimensional appreciation of the issues that can support better decision-making for universal electrification. The project brings together UK-based researchers with research teams in four Sub-Saharan African countries.
Which business models have succeeded in delivering financially and technically viable mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Who and what have been the key beneficiaries of mini-grids in the case-study countries, and in what way?
Who drives or hinders the proliferation and speed of adoption of mini-grids in East and West Africa?
What governance, regulatory and policy frameworks for decentralised electricity exist in each country, how successful are they, and how do they differ?
The research is organised into seven interlinked work packages — from an in-depth literature review and an open mini-grid database, through sustainability, governance and inclusiveness analysis, to capacity-building and dissemination.
Literature review, analytical frameworks, and an open mini-grid database across the four countries.
Sustainability, governance, political economy and inclusiveness analysis of mini-grids in the case-study countries.
Capacity-building, knowledge exchange and dissemination to inform better decisions for universal electrification.
