By Bolaji Okunola
Nigerian-born energy expert, Sandra Chukwudozie, has provided a homegrown solution to Africa’s energy crisis by powering 2 million homes and businesses with local innovation.
Chukwudozie, who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Salpha Energy, expressed this at the recent Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York. Speaking at the occasion, she spotlighted the urgent need for homegrown solutions to Africa’s energy crisis while challenging the model of importation in solving energy issues.
Having manufactured a solar grid generator capable of powering 2 million homes, Chukwudozie emphasised that Africa must not only consume but also create energy technologies.
“Across Africa, more than 600 million people live without reliable electricity. The impact is profound; families have to navigate late evenings in darkness or by candlelight, local clinics cannot be as effective after sunset, and businesses close early because they lack power.”
“For too long, Africa’s solar industry has depended on offshore imports. Products arrive at inflated costs, burdening customers with high prices and low reliability.”
“Salpha Energy is proving it can be done. By assembling, designing, and distributing solar products in Nigeria, we ensured affordability, durability, and local jobs. Its workforce is young, skilled, and motivated, precisely the demographic that global leaders at CGI repeatedly said must be empowered for Africa to thrive.”
“Our mission is bigger than selling solar products; it’s about giving millions of Africans the same foundation of opportunity that electricity provided for industrialised nations. With the right investment, policies, and attention, I believe we can provide solar power to millions more in the coming years,” she emphasised.
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