Hot SourceGbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
A bold new step towards tackling energy poverty and climate change in Nigeria has been unveiled in Ekiti State, as GreenPower SHS Ltd, a company specialising in solar energy, officially launched a concept called ‘BattLit’, which is its solar lamp and battery rental brand.
According to the firm, the innovative power solution was aimed at providing affordable clean energy access to off-grid communities, while also creating sustainable jobs for women and youth.
Speaking at the launch in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, weekend the Chief Executive Officer of GreenPower SHS Ltd, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi, said BattLit was specially designed to address the triple challenges of energy poverty, climate change, and unemployment.
“With over 80 million Nigerians living without reliable access to electricity, households spend a disproportionate share of their income on kerosene and generators,” he said.
Faparusi said BattLit Innovation will remove the burden of upfront costs and allows families to rent solar lamps and batteries for as low as N500 per day. “It is clean, affordable and sustainable,” he stated.
According to him, “BattLit hubs, funded by investors and operated by trained local entrepreneurs, are equipped with solar-powered charging stations and pre-charged lamps. Each lamp provides up to 18 hours of bright light and mobile phone charging capacity.
“Operators, largely women and youth, manage the rental process, earning daily income while delivering clean energy to their communities.
“With entry hubs costing just N1 million, BattLit is more affordable and scalable than similar models in the market. Investors recover their setup cost within seven months and continue to earn residual income, while households enjoy modern energy at a fraction of their current spending on kerosene.”
Speaking against the backdrop of the initiative on the communities, the CEO added that BattLit model will not only expand access to clean energy, but will also create green jobs.
“Each hub provides direct employment for local operators and extends affordable power access to dozens of households. Beyond households, schools, small businesses, and health centres in rural areas are expected to benefit significantly,” he said.
Faparusi called on government’s officials, financial institutions and development partners to key into the initiative to scale up the domestication of the solar power solution across Ekiti and beyond.
“BattLit is not just about light, it is about opportunity,” said one guest. “It is a chance to empower communities, create jobs, and fight climate change in one stroke.”
He said the GreenPower SHS plans to expand rapidly, deploying 100s of hubs annually across Nigeria and the ECOWAS region, revealing that the company has already piloted 25 hubs with strong results, reporting over 70% daily utilization rates and growing revenue streams.
“With its official launch in Ekiti, BattLit is now set to light up thousands of homes, charge mobile phones, empower local operators, and bring Nigeria closer to a future where clean energy is truly for all,” he said.
At the launch, some environmental experts, in their technical presentations, highlighted BattLit’s contributions to Nigeria’s climate goals, noting that each lamp avoids nearly one ton of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions annually by replacing kerosene lamps and fossil-fuel generators.
