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Can you imagine life without electricity? This is the reality for most residents in this community where there has been blackout for years.
With over 190M people, Nigeria is the most populous and largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet economic prospects are curbed by unreliable power supply and low access rate. The country has 12.5GW installed capacity but generates 4GW – or a mere 32% of its peak. To balance low-supply and high-demand, utility companies have to cut off the supply ("shed the load") to some customers. As a result, some communities can get as little as two hours of electricity each day!
Angalabiri is one of those underserved communities and we hope to (1) setup solar-powered street lights in the short-term (2) leverage the region’s water resources (River Forcados), to build a small hydroplant. Learn more through this documentary here.
It's an indisputable fact that access to electricity spurs economic growth. Frequent blackouts and unreliable supplies mean most have to rely on off-grid generation like diesel generators or solar. But those cost about $0.20/kWh to $0.30/kWh - that's 3-5X more expensive than prices in the U.S for a region where over 60% of households earn $2 per day.
Angalabiri fisherman listening to a radio while waiting for his catch.
This project is a pilot program for a low-cost round-the-clock supply of renewable electricity in an underserved community.
We are working with the community's paramount ruler (pictured below) who has granted us rights for land/water use.
We have raised some seed capital towards energy demand assessment survey and preliminary engineering efforts.
We have partnered with a leading renewable energy firm, Rubitec Solar with over 15-year expertise in the industry.
McCombs MBA student & project lead, Chuk Orakwue (left) with the ruler of Angalabiri, Dr. Eseduwo, and his wife.
Join us in unlocking access to electricity in this underserved community. Your support of this HornRaiser means the next student with an idea to change the world will have the resources to make it a reality! Thank you, and hook ‘em horns!
McCombs MBA students & Project champions Chuk Orakwue & Chika Okafor during a visit over the Winter break.
What do you hope to accomplish?
We hope to improve access to electricity by (1) setting up solar-powered street lights (2) building a small run-of-river hydropower plant which reduces emissions and reliance on candles, kerosene lamps, and diesel-powered generators.
Are the donations tax-deductible?
Yes, your donation is considered a gift to the university and is tax-deductible. You will receive a gift acknowledgment and tax receipt from the university.
Who else are you working with on this effort?
Additional guidance and technical advisory support are being provided hydropower experts at Black & Veatch, staff at Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria, NSPS team of USAID/PowerAfrica to name a few.
How will the funds be used?
During Winter 2019 break, project members Chuk and Chika traveled to meet community leaders and learn from the residents. We learned there is an urgent need for street lighting for the community. Working with a local engineering firm, we plan to install solar-powered street lights and conduct hydrology assessment towards building a small run-of-river hydropower plant for the community.
Can I utilize my company match? YES! Many employers sponsor matching gift programs (Apple, Dell, Google, Intel, Microsoft, etc.) and will match any charitable contributions made by employees. To find out if your company has a matching gift program, please click here. Tip: You will need to request the matching gift from your employer.
What is a gift matching program? Matching gifts are donations a company, employer, or individual makes to match charitable contributions made to a specific cause.
At 190 million people, Nigeria is the most populous and largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa but about 45% has access to electricity - ACCESS!!!
The country has the capacity to generate 12GW of electric power from existing plants, but most days is only able to generate about one-fifth of the total power supply of North Carolina.
Those with access to electricity, get about four (4) hours of supply over a 24 hour period! The community, where this project is located, has had no grid electricity in years!
Most households earn less than $2 per day, yet those who can afford off-grid (diesel) generators pay up to 5X more for electricity than in the U.S. Most kids still study with candles and kerosene lamps!
Let's get this done, one community at a time! What happens here changes the world.
