The Clean Energy Brands Fighting Climate Change in Africa

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and one of the world’s top producers of oil and gas, has a large and energy-hungry population. Yet about 60% of the country’s 200 million inhabitants lack access to reliable electricity, according to the government’s Nigeria Power Baseline Report. On most days, it is only able to dispatch around 4,000 megawatts out of a potential 12,522 megawatts of power from existing plants. Nigeria's average electricity consumption per inhabitant is only 150 kilowatt hours per capita, one of the lowest in the world, according to Energypedia, compared to 4,198 kilowatt hours per capita for South Africa, its closest economic rival. As a result, many turn to fossil fuels like diesel generators and kerosene. Those alternatives lead to poor air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution—problems that represent an undue burden on the health of Nigeria’s large low-income population. Inflation pushed 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020, according to the World Bank, and there are now more than 100 million people living in poverty in Nigeria. The country is classified as one of the 10 most vulnerable in the world, according to the 2017 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, as it is exposed to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, sand storms and heat waves. In response to these challenges, renewable energy brands in Nigeria are increasing their efforts to tackle energy poverty and its resultant effects. Companies are prioritizing consumer education; careful and consistent relationship building within communities; and demonstrating how new technologies can help address gender imbalance. Let value lead Living in a developing country like Nigeria means having to consider the issue of energy more frequently than consumers in the Western world. People often have to think in novel ways about how to cook their dinner or light their homes with limited access to power. But the unreliability of the current system means Nigerians are particularly open to learning better energy habits and adopting new practices. When it comes to renewable energy, companies must understand what constitutes value for the consumer or entity, and locate low-carbon technology as a solution that offers better value. "If you can show them that low-carbon technology will do a better job, they are more likely to adopt it," said Samuelson Appau, assistant professor of marketing at the Melbourne Business School. "Don't just go and ‘educate’ them about low-carbon technology—tell them how low-carbon technology will give them value in what they are doing now." Building trust One effective means of ensuring seamless energy transition for consumers is to look out for their needs, according to William Brent, chief marketing officer at Colorado-based Husk Power Systems. The company specializes in providing renewable energy to "weak-grid" or "off-grid" communities in Asia and Africa. Husk Power Systems fosters trust and support through SMS and in-person outreach. "All of the things that we do are intended to make sure that our customers know that we're thinking first and foremost about them and their needs, and less about selling them electricity,” Brent said. “We don't want to sell them like crazy just because we can, and we want to sell them the right amount of electricity that suits their lifestyle.” That's where partnership and creating trust and knowledge within the community come in, he explained. The company hands out leaflets and sends out SMS messages to remind customers of key times for recharging, as well as special offers. Last September, Husk Power Systems received financial support from Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency (REA). It is the first time a company has rolled out multiple solar mini-grids at one time under the Nigerian Electrification Project, an initiative funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, and implemented by the REA. Energy access isn’t gender neutral Because energy access intersects with gender imbalance, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by energy poverty. With this in mind, nonprofit clean energy company Solar Sister aims to provide women with economic opportunity, training, technology and support to distribute clean energy to underserved communities in Africa. Collecting firewood for fuel is a wearisome activity, mainly carried out by women and girls. This not only perpetuates poverty and inequality, but also translates to lost opportunities for education and remunerated labor. Research shows that earning an income allows women to contribute to household earnings and gain confidence, financial independence and respect from their families. Women entrepreneurs start to play a larger role in household decision making. At Solar Sister, women play an essential role by bringing clean energy solutions to their communities. "We are promoting clean energy through women empowerment. We know there's a ripple effect when a woman is financially empowered, as the benefits transcend to her community," said Olasimbo Sojinrin, country director of Solar Sister. The women-led company claims to have reached more than 2.9 million people across Africa with solar products and clean cookstoves since its first pilot program in 2010. Designed for efficiency To succeed in communities where energy access has always been unpredictable, consistent brand communication is crucial. “We engage in frequent town halls with key stakeholders and set up branded gazebos where local staff explain the different power packages available and what best suits the customers' expected power needs," Brent said. This is especially important in communities where a high level of consumer education is required, he added, noting that some communities have never had access to electricity at all. In some rural areas, women are forced to give birth in healthcare facilities that lack electricity, putting their lives and those of their babies at greater risk. "Transitions are difficult and the period where a company or consumer is transitioning between old ways and new ways can be deeply chaotic and painful,” said Appau. “When you find that consumer who is willing to adopt the low carbon technology, have a transition plan and team in place to support them to migrate to your technology. They will thank you for it, and that positive experience could turn them into your apostles."

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Ayobami Adedinni

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