Solardero expands solar education projects in Nigeria’s off-grid communities

Solardero Foundation is expanding renewable-energy projects aimed at helping students and schools in Nigerian communities without reliable electricity, its founder Sayedero Enitan has said. The social enterprise has distributed approximately 6,000 solar-powered school bags fitted with solar panels and study lights. The bags are intended to help children study after dark without candles or kerosene lamps.

Solardero has also donated complete solar electricity systems and digital learning equipment, including laptops, to rural schools. Its projects have included Ibiade, a community that the foundation said had gone more than 20 years without electricity, and Idata in Lagos State’s Ibeju-Lekki area. Enitan said the organisation combined equipment with vocational training so communities could develop the capacity to maintain the systems.

Secondary school students learn basic solar installation and maintenance alongside certified technicians. She said the foundation’s objective was not only to provide lighting but also to equip young people with skills that could support careers in renewable technology. The organisation’s name is derived from a Yoruba word meaning “to make life easy”.

The foundation’s work comes amid significant electricity access challenges. The source material cites World Bank data showing that more than 86.8 million Nigerians lacked access to electricity in 2023. Solardero currently operates mainly through personal funding and modest commercial product revenues.

It is seeking corporate partnerships and other funding to increase its reach. Its planned activities include further school electrification, solar tote bags for night-market vendors and expanded vocational training in off-grid areas. Enitan said the projects were intended to support education, safety and economic opportunity.