Scaling private-sector-led solar-powered irrigation systems for climate resilience in smallholder farming in Sub-Saharan Africa

This solution track seeks to expand access to solar-powered irrigation and farmer-led irrigation development among smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria by addressing high upfront costs, limited finance, fragmented supply chains and inadequate technical support. The approach combines market-ready solar irrigation technologies with blended finance, risk-sharing, pay-as-you-go and irrigation-as-a-service models, complemented by digital advisory tools, extension capacity and market linkages. Through public-private partnership platforms, governments, financial institutions, suppliers and development partners coordinate country-specific scaling pathways. By 2028, the track aims to reach 570,000 farmers across the three countries while strengthening irrigation markets, mobilising private capital and establishing sustainable delivery systems for climate-resilient agricultural intensification.