Actis wins 2023 Environmental Finance IMPACT Award

London, 13 December 2023:  Actis, a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure, has won the Impact Initiative of the Year: Africa award at the Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards 2023 for its work with majority owned African energy business Azura Power and its ‘Power to Change’ programme.

Azura Power’s ‘Power to Change’ programme is a multi-faceted strategy that works alongside subsidiaries as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations to create positive social impact for local communities. It achieves results by working with those equipped to provide tailored solutions to local problems, focusing on education, decent work and economic growth, and good health and wellbeing (priority UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, 8 and 3). The programme’s multifaceted approach drives lasting results, improves quality of life, economic opportunities and conditions for local communities in Nigeria, Senegal and Mozambique.

The programme is run by Azura with support from Actis, notably through the Azura board sustainability committee, chaired by Actis Partner Barry Lynch and attended by Actis’ sustainability team. The ‘Power to Change’ programme is led on the ground by Azura and focused on communities living around the Tobene Power project in Senegal, the Azura-Edo project in Nigeria, and the Central Termica Ressano Garcia (CTRG) project in Mozambique.

Strategic, life-changing interventions by the ‘Power to Change’ programme include:

• Education – improving school facilities, safety and attendance, and providing internships and training to increase young people’s opportunities.
• Entrepreneurship – fostering economic development, particularly among women, by supporting income-generating projects and facilitating access to micro-credit loans.
• Healthcare – addressing water access, maternal and infant care and healthcare access to help increase life expectancy and general health.

James Magor, Director, Sustainability  at Actis, commented:

“As a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure, Actis builds sustainable value creation into the core of all our businesses. Azura Power exemplifies this by generating reliable power alongside their ’Power to Change’ programme, which delivers long-term, sustainable social impact for communities in Senegal, Nigeria and Mozambique. We’re proud to win this award and we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these results without the fantastic will, creativity and effort that the Azura team produce every day. This award is a testament to their fantastic work and close collaboration with Actis to deliver a better tomorrow for local communities.”

Seynabou Ba, ESG Director at Azura Power, added:

“This award is great news and shows the dedication for social impact of the entire ‘Power to Change’ team at Azura-Edo in Nigeria, Tobene Power in Senegal and CTRG in Mozambique. Particular credit goes to Sundeep Bahanda, who is the initiator of the ‘Power to Change’ programme in Nigeria and continues to play an active role in its leadership.  This award is a testament of Azura Power’s unwavering commitment to social impact as part of its business strategy.  We also share this achievement with Actis for their contribution in supporting Azura Power deliver value in the communities it operates in. The entire Azura Power PTC team is thrilled, humbled and deeply encouraged by this recognition.”