• A Nigerian entrepreneur has offered an alternative to a generator for Nigerians.

• The name of his company is Reeddi and the alternative is called Reedi capsules.

• The batteries are only available in Nigeria but some organizations in other African countries have expressed their interest.

One great thing about Africans is that they take the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonades” very seriously; for every problem they face, they find intelligent solutions.

In Nigeria, access to electricity could be at an all-time low and those who are connected to the electricity grid have to contend with frequent power cuts. As a result of this, many Nigerians rely on petrol and diesel to fuel the generators to power their homes and businesses, but the noise and gas that emits from these generators pollute the environment.

A Nigerian entrepreneur Olugbenga Olubanjo has now offered an alternative. He has established a company that rents out small, lightweight solar-powered batteries, that can power devices including TVs, laptops, and refrigerators. This company is called Reeddi and the batteries are called Reedi capsules.

Reeddi was one of the finalists for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which recognizes ambitious efforts to fix environmental problems. In a podcast, the Prince of Wales said that “the capsule will have a huge influence on communities where energy poverty is a big deal.”

Olubanjo’s inspiration came from having to contend with power outage while working on his assignments when he was schooling at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. While doing his postgraduate studies in Toronto, he had access to electricity and realized his creativity increased greatly. This and some other experiences made him feel obliged to do something about it.

These capsules can be bought along with a solar panel for $430 or they can be rented for up to 24 hours for 50 cents after being charged using solar operated by Reeddi.

According to the inventor, one battery can power a TV for around five hours, or a 15-watt fan for 15 hours. This alternative is cheaper than running a generator.

Currently, the batteries are only available in Nigeria, where Olubanjo says they are used by more than 1,600 people, mainly in Lagos and Ogun State. But across the continent, more than 600 million people lack access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency

Olubanjo says organizations in countries including Uganda, Ghana, and South Africa have expressed an interest in the Reeddi Capsule. “We’re going to try our best to optimize what we have in Nigeria before we scale it to that broader part of Africa,” he said.