Empowering Sub-Saharan Women In The Renewable Energy Sector

By Heather Onoh

  1. What is the role of SGI and what are the impacts it has in sub-Saharan Africa?

Smarter Grid International (SGI) is a Nigerian based woman owned renewable energy company that caters to the energy deprived populace in ensuring increased access to affordable energy products and services for homes and businesses in Sub Saharan Africa.

SGI continues to impact the livelihood of the people and businesses in the base of the pyramid in Nigeria through a well-structured woman only Human Capital Development Schemes, which entails training and skills acquisition programs that guarantees massive job and wealth creation for the Rural women, youths, and populace in the IDP camps. Some of these programs includes: 

  1. What are the challenges SGI is facing while creating awareness on solar energy, especially in countries and communities still relying on kerosene, candles, or highly polluting diesel generators to light and power their homes.

SGI encounters multiple challenges, including difficulties obtaining funding, the cost of products being too high for potential customers, and other factors affecting the final cost for end users. Despite these challenges, SGI has been fortunate enough among the numerous women-led enterprises in Nigeria to have the support of notable partners like the AECF and GSMA, which have provided funding, training, and technical assistance.

Besides the financial challenges, SGI also faces an issue of product trust from rural customers, many of whom believe that solar products are a scheme orchestrated by the government to avoid extending the grid to their communities.

How is SGI working with women in off-grid solar energy industry and what’s the impact

SGI has the most women lead structure in the off-grid space in Nigeria, these initiatives include:

  • TRIPLE AGENT:  entails training the women trainers who ultimately become super agents to both SGI, Airtel and other partners for deeper grass root penetration in a bid to bridge the gap of digital divide, energy deprivation and financial exclusion.
  • SGI RURAL WOMEN TECH SQUAD: funded by GSMA, is an all-women auxiliary technical team, purposely chosen from the informal sector of the populace…this initiative entails training of rural women as solar installers and super agents to their various communities, making it easier to establish product trust, quicker adoption, distribution and willingness to pay, as well as massive employment opportunities for the rural women of the RURAL WOMEN TECH SQUAD
  • Solar Angels: peer-to-peer solar marketers, like angels, they help spread the goods news of our reputable and life changing services to the communities in a bid to create sustainable product awareness.

The author is the Founder and CEO of Smarter Grid International Smarter Grid International (SGI)

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