Africa gets Solar

Nigeria houses 60–70 million generators and holds the unfavorable title of the world’s second-largest generator market. By 2050, it will be the 3rd most populous country in the world. On an economic perspective, using generators is very expensive for a household.

“People are paying between $0.85 and $1.75 per kilowatt hour of power here in Nigeria, when in Germany, where the cost of the network is considered as expensive, people pay about $0.20 per kilowatt hour. On the other hand, the cost of renewable energy equipment continues to fall aggressively,” explains Ademola Adesina, a Nigerian entrepreneur who has set the objective to reduce Africa’s reliance on generators.

Poisonous Fumes

It’s common knowledge that generators are extremely hazardous. “The fumes from these generators are literally poison, especially when used in close proximity and tight spaces, which is often the case,” explains Ademola.

Air pollution was responsible for 19% of cardiovascular deaths worldwide in 2015, 24% of ischaemic heart disease deaths, 21% of stroke deaths and 23% of lung cancer deaths. “Air pollution has also been linked with neurodevelopmental disorders in children and neurodegenerative diseases in adults, and we know generators are a major contributor to this,” continues the entrepreneur.

Lack of infrastructure

Because of the lack of infrastructure overalls, African entrepreneurs benefit from building from scratch without the obstacles and complexity that other nations are burdened by.  Ademola Adesina is the Founder and CEO of a subscription-based energy service that fills the energy gap. The system uses long-lasting lithium based batteries and solar energy. It has a mobile-based user interface that allows customers to pay and better understand how their power is used.

“What was the reaction of the people in Nigeria when you presented them with your solution?,” I asked Ademola. “Genuine excitement. I remember walking around a few shops on a tour to see some of the potential use cases for our renewable energy solution and I was confronted by a shop owner.

Upon learning of our renewable energy solution he was extremely excited, almost jumping up and down. He said he could not wait for the day he could get rid of his generator. I’m paraphrasing here but he told me: ‘the fumes are terrible and I feel like they are causing me health problems. I know it, but I have no alternative.

And the noise is unbearable, I have a headache every day when I go home, just because the government can’t provide us with reliable power. I always thought solar was expensive but what you are proposing can make it affordable for me.’  He immediately asked how soon he could get one,” remembers Ademola. Africa is the world’s fastest growing population, is urbanizing rapidly and projected to become 56% urban by 2050.

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