CEADIR Follow-on Assistance for Clean Energy Lending in Senegal: Final Activity Report

The subtask was supported through a buy-in from the USAID/West Africa Regional Mission with Power Africa funding. The work took place in eight countries, including Senegal, and was valued at $1,992,176. The CEADIR definition of clean energy includes renewable energy and energy efficiency. Market assessments for clean energy lending were prepared for each of the eight countries, providing an overview of the clean energy market and its segments, the policy and regulatory environment, the pipeline of existing and potential investments, and characteristics of the banking industry. Each assessment concluded with recommendations for banks interested in beginning or expanding clean energy lending. In Senegal, CEADIR conducted a market briefing for banks, energy companies, government agencies, and USAID and its implementing partners. The following banks attended the market briefing: the Banque de l'Habitat du Sénégal (BHS), Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole du Sénégal (CNCAS, now La Banque Agricole), Crédit du Sénégal, Coris Bank, and Orabank. CEADIR provided interested banks in each country with trainings and follow-up diagnostics to help them assess the clean energy lending market, develop appropriate loan products, and appraise loan applications. The trainings focused on three market segments: PayGo home solar systems, commercial and industrial solar power, and minigrids. In Senegal, the following banks attended the trainings: BHS, Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie du Sénégal (BICIS, part of BNP Paribas Sénégal Group), CNCAS, Coris Bank, Crédit du Sénégal, Orabank, and United Bank for Africa (UBA). In Senegal, CEADIR worked with two banks on institutional diagnostics -- Orabank and CNCAS. It provided targeted loan transaction support for CNCAS and Bonergie, a supplier of photovoltaic installations for businesses. CEADIR also provided technical assistance to help CNCAS initiate accreditation with the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Additionally, CEADIR supported donor coordination reporting for the USAID-funded Power Africa Transactions and Reforms Program (PATRP). In late 2019, the USAID/Senegal Mission asked CEADIR to provide follow-on technical assistance to two banks to further accelerate clean energy lending. USAID/Senegal chose BICIS and La Banque Agricole (LBA) as the focus banks, as they had demonstrated substantial interest in expanding clean energy lending. CEADIR provided technical assistance to help these banks develop their clean energy lending capabilities. The technical assistance provided by CEADIR included training and capacity building for the focus banks. The training focused on clean energy lending and risk management, and was designed to help the banks develop the skills and knowledge needed to successfully implement clean energy lending programs. CEADIR also provided technical assistance to help the focus banks develop their clean energy lending products and services. The follow-on technical assistance provided by CEADIR was designed to build on the lessons learned from its previous work in West Africa and other training resources prepared for Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda. The technical assistance was tailored to the specific needs of the focus banks and was designed to help them accelerate their clean energy lending activities. The USAID/Senegal Mission provided funding for the follow-on technical assistance, which was valued at $X. The technical assistance was implemented between X and X, and was managed by CEADIR. The technical assistance was designed to help the focus banks develop their clean energy lending capabilities and to accelerate their clean energy lending activities. The technical assistance provided by CEADIR included training and capacity building for the focus banks, as well as technical assistance to help them develop their clean energy lending products and services. The technical assistance was designed to build on the lessons learned from CEADIR's previous work in West Africa and other training resources prepared for Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda. The focus banks, BICIS and La Banque Agricole, demonstrated substantial interest in expanding clean energy lending. They had previously participated in CEADIR's training and capacity building programs and had expressed a desire to further develop their clean energy lending capabilities. The follow-on technical assistance provided by CEADIR was designed to help these banks achieve their goals and to accelerate their clean energy lending activities. The technical assistance provided by CEADIR was designed to be sustainable and to have a lasting impact on the focus banks. The technical assistance included training and capacity building, as well as technical assistance to help the banks develop their clean energy lending products and services. The technical assistance was tailored to the specific needs of the focus banks and was designed to help them develop the skills and knowledge needed to successfully implement clean energy lending programs.