For leveraging electronic waste in providing affordable, clean energy in Africa’s rural communities through local manufacturing and for consistently working to becoming one of the leading solution providers to Africa’s energy problems, Dozie Igweilo is ANAMBRA PERSON OF THE WEEK.
Mr. Dozie Igweilo is the Founder of QuadLoop, a company that aims at developing affordable solar lanterns and home systems for rural and semi-urban communities, with a lower environmental impact. The company’s flagship product, the ÌDùnnú solar lantern, is made up of 70% electronic waste material, designed to provide the user with basic lighting with a USB mobile charging option.
According to him, poor electricity distribution has been a severe problem across Africa, with many people still depending on dirty sources to light up homes, cook and power basic appliances. Most people still pay around $1 to have their mobile and touch lights charged, while the more privileged population use a portable 0.9kva generator to light up homes and businesses.
This has triggered a passion in him to solve this problem despite having a degree in economics. In 2016, after months of research on how to convert e-waste into electronic hardware, he started to buy raw materials such as lithium-ion batteries, laptops and televisions from waste recycling companies and this culminated to the company’s maiden product ÌDùnnú with batteries and frames. The frame is made from glass retrieved from discarded television screens and computer monitors. Each lantern weighs about 2.5kg and comprises 70% e-waste, while the remaining 30% comes from imported components.
He is currently working on the mass production of the product. At the same time, he is conducting internal tests of his solar generator product.
His business has received various financial supports including a $10,000 grant from the Nigerian Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) and this has helped him scale production and repackage the lantern from the initial design that utilised 30% of e-waste to the new version with 70%.
His company, QuadLoop is one of the beneficiaries of the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR2) incubation program.
The program, i-FAIR2 is a six-month program enabling participants to transform ideas into reality by providing technological and educational tools, platforms, guidance, and mentoring by experts from the State of Israel and Nigeria. It is a joint effort from the office of Nigeria’s vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and the Israeli government in Abuja. The product has completely changed in form and quality from what it used to be as a result of his participation in the six months program.
According to Igweilo, his future ambition is to utilize e-waste as a means of job creation, empowering young people and bringing awareness to the circular economy resource models in Africa. This ambition can be achieved by cultivating a self-sustaining production line and sustainable consumption habits, enhancing the production of local electronics, gadgets, and machines designed for Africa by Africans.
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