By Elizabeth Adegbesan Before now, the big complexes and markets in many parts of the country, were riddled with the sharp, rhythmic chugging of small petrol generators. Read Also: Hardship threatens personal pension plan, 92% of accounts dormant The disturbing soundtrack marked the industry of commercial phone chargers who became instant bail-outs to phone users, against the perennial epileptic power supply in the country. Even business owners, residents see commercial phone chargers as a saving grace in such situations.
Economy&Lifestyle has discovered that today, the noise is rapidly fading, replaced by the silent gleam of rooftop solar panels. Small-scale entrepreneurs running commercial phone charging hubs, a critical lifeline in a country with chronic grid instability, are staging a quiet revolution, ditching petrol for solar energy to survive a brutal economic climate. For over a decade, these micro-businesses relied entirely on small generators, popularly known as “I better pass my neighbour,” to power their charging racks.
However, following the complete removal of fuel subsidies and subsequent currency devaluations, the retail price of petrol has skyrocketed to unprecedented heights. Operating a petrol-dependent business has transformed from a low-margin hustle into a financial suicide mission. “I used to spend between N7,000 and N9,000 Naira daily on petrol just to keep my charging boards running,” said Kingsley Adeji, who operates a 50-port charging kiosk.
“By the time I calculate my daily earnings, I am working entirely for the petrol station. I was on the verge of shutting down completely because I couldn’t keep raising the price per charge for my customers, who are also broke.” Desperate to stay afloat, Adeji took a gamble three months ago.He used his remaining savings and borrowed from a local cooperative society to purchase a 1-kilowatt solar inverter system equipped with two 300-watt panels and a lithium battery. “It was a huge sacrifice upfront, but it saved my life,” Adeji noted.
“Now, my daily running cost is zero. “The sun charges my batteries, and I can charge over a hundred phones and power banks a day without hearing generator noise. I am finally making a profit again.” Adeji added: “The government made life hard with the fuel prices.
But the sun is free, and nobody can put a tax or a subsidy on it.” The trend is rapidly gaining mom…
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