In Nigeria, most people lack access to electricity or have extremely poor access to the grid. Businesses throughout all economic sectors cite electricity as one of the main obstacles in their operations and suffer significant revenue loss due to frequent blackouts power unreliability. This energy gap has negative impacts including job unemployment, socio-economic underdevelopment, and climate change.
Nigeria – third largest economy in Africa with insatiable and ever-growing energy need continually seek innovative solutions to increase access to electricity, decrease fossil fuel dependency and GHG emissions for an economic prosperous Nation. As a Center, providing an authentic platform that allows every stakeholder to capitalize on the most current energy technologies available across the entire spectrum of renewable energy and distribution has been our focus and forte.
RENEWABLE ENERGY NETWORK
GoSolar Africa is a frontier and leader in Clean Energy Design and Installation across Africa. The company is making clean energy available to low-income households, businesses, schools, non-profit and governments at low and affordable cost than they pay for using energy generated by burning fossil fuels like kerosene, petrol, diesel and natural gas.
Adewale Adelakun is the CEO of GoSolar Africa. Following an open competitive selection process in 2015, GoSolarAfrica was selected to provide reliable electricity services to at least 2,000 thousand people in Kurdula, Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State, Nigeria; developing a mini-grid of 80kilowatt Peak (kWp) isolated solar PV power plant. The Project was executed under a Build Operate and Own (“BOO”) public-private partnership model and executed in two phases. Phase 1 of the Project covered at least 75% of the installed capacity, whilst phase 2 of the Project covered 25% of the additional installed capacity. Delivered in January 2018, the project delivered 127,116 kWh/year, saving about 508,464 litres of diesel and N106,777,440 ($296,604) formerly used.
Passionate about clean energy, environmental protection and in line with the philosophy of Africapitalism, Osakwe Chukwunonso, in the year 2000 established his first company with an objective to provide individuals and organisations with an alternative source of electricity that was environmentally friendly and could help them save money spent on fuel.
Over the past 17 years, he has grown to provide solar energy solutions to numerous satisfied customers. In 2015, Osakwe took his passion a step further by setting up another company – Quadcycle Nigeria, which is focused on the manufacture hybrid and electric vehicles which will help reduce greenhouse gases from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Quadcycle started with an initial target to manufacture hybrid alternative vehicles that will compete with and eventually eliminate the need to import rickshaws (KEKE NAPEP) into Nigeria.
A recipient of the TEF’s Most Innovative Start-up for 2017, Quadcycle have also gotten recognition from SMEDAN, Ministry of Trade and Investment.
Powerstove Energy is a clean-energy advocate company that designs and produces low-cost, IoT enabled, clean cookstove that is 100% smokeless, uses 70% less biomass to cook food 5x faster than traditional stoves while generating 50 watts of electricity for households. The Company also produces Goodlife Pellet – a premium refuse-derived fuel which costs 60% lower than firewood and is 80% cheaper than charcoal. Since its launch on 18th of August 2017, PowerStove has managed over 780 users, has a backlog of 1,050 users on its waiting list, averages a monthly demand of 25 tons of Goodlife Biomass Pellets and has made over $80,000 in revenue.
Okey Esse, a serial entrepreneur and investor with 12+ years practical experience turning ideas into profitable products is the founder and CEO of PowerStove. Okey’s reputation of setting up 5 successful companies and holding a franchise in 2 other products meant his latest innovation – Powerstove would have a resounding entrance in the renewable energy startup space and it did. Powerstove had already bagged several awards and countless accolades from all around the world before its official launch…
Omotola Awoyemi is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Sunshine kiosks. He is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Ibadan. He has worked at various educational technology and IoT startups at different technical and management level. With Sunshine Kiosks, he follows his passion in renewable energy and the SDGs. He also volunteers to teach young people about renewable energy, solar energy technology, 3D printing and the SDGs in camps and workshops organised by Brainiacs STEM & Robotics in Lagos.
Sunshine Kiosks tackles the environmental degradation caused by the fumes of thousands of generators running in Nigeria daily. Omotola is doing this by providing all the tools needed to establish a solar-powered business to young people and women.