The Man Who Rented the Sun: How Olugbenga Olubanjo is Quieting Nigeria’s Generators

The evening air in a typical Nigerian neighbourhood is rarely silent. As the sun dips and the national power grid falters, a mechanical chorus begins: the roar of thousands of small, gasoline-powered generators, often called "I-better-pass-my-neighbour". For decades, this noise has been the soundtrack of survival. But for Olugbenga Olubanjo, it was a symptom of a systemic failure. Growing up in Ibadan and Lagos, he watched how energy poverty acted as a ceiling on ambition, forcing barbers to close during blackouts and students to study by flickering kerosene lamps. Today, Olubanjo is rewriting that story through Reeddi, a startup that treats electricity not as an expensive luxury, but as an affordable service to be shared.

The scale of the challenge is massive. Nigeria faces the world’s largest energy-access deficit, with 86 million people living off the grid. Those who are connected often endure erratic supply, forcing them to spend a huge portion of their income on polluting fuels. Speaking to Earthshot Prize researchers, Olubanjo reflected on how these "realities shaped his determination to find a better way". His vision was to create a solution that was "always ready": a portable, clean-energy system that could fit into a vendor's budget.

From Ibadan to Toronto: The Spark of Innovation

Olubanjo’s journey began with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Ibadan. However, it was his Master’s at the University of Toronto that provided the final catalyst. While in Canada, he found that international calls to his family were frequently cut short by power outages. He realised the technology to solve this with lithium-ion batteries and solar panels already existed, but the delivery mechanism was broken. Most solar systems require massive upfront costs that ignore the reality of African households.

Instead of building a better solar panel, Olubanjo focused on a better way to distribute energy. He prototyped the Reeddi Capsule, a compact storage device charged at a central solar hub and rented out to the community. This was an exercise in "market-creating innovation," turning a problem of non-consumption into a thriving new economy.

The Technical Heart of the Innovation

The Reeddi Capsule is a marvel of purposeful design. Weighing just 1.8 kilograms, it is light enough to be carried by a child or a trader. Inside, it houses high-quality lithium-ion cells managed by a proprietary battery optimisation algorithm. While standard batteries often degrade after 500 cycles, Reeddi’s integration extends this to over 1,200 cycles, allowing each unit to serve a community for four years or more.

Overcoming the Hurdles of Hardware

Building hardware in Africa is notoriously difficult due to infrastructure gaps and supply chain delays. In the early days, critics dismissed the idea of a rentable battery as a "joke". To overcome this, Reeddi adopted a strategy of deep community immersion. Supported by the TRANSFORM project, the team engaged with local "High Chiefs" to build trust. They partnered with local shopkeepers, many of them women, turning corner stores into energy hubs where they manage rentals for a commission.

Olubanjo also managed the challenge of running a company across two continents and time zones. This resilience was tested during the pandemic, but the team persisted, focusing on a solid operational system that could sustain growth in any environment.

Global Recognition and Scaling Up

The turning point came in 2021 when Reeddi was named a finalist for the Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize. This provided "limitless access to resources and relationships" that allowed the company to scale. Following the nomination, demand for capsules increased sixfold. The innovation was also featured in TIME magazine’s "Best Inventions of 2021".

Today, Reeddi has powered over 3,000 homes and businesses . By switching from petrol to a Reeddi Capsule, users save up to 30% on daily expenses while avoiding toxic fumes. To date, the company has offset over 124,000 kg of CO2. Olubanjo has since expanded the vision with Reeddi BigEnergy and the EnergyBox, larger systems built for longer lifespans and higher safety. He also launched TempOwn, a marketplace allowing people to rent everything from cameras to machinery, effectively applying the sharing economy to all physical assets .

Olubanjo plans to serve 10,000 customers every month and expand into other energy-poor regions . For him, the mission is simple: bridging the accessibility gap so every African has the power to "make the future" .

Lessons for Budding Makers

Olugbenga Olubanjo’s journey offers valuable insights for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs:

1. Solve for Accessibility, Not Just Technology: A brilliant machine is useless if it is unaffordable. Olubanjo’s breakthrough was the $0.50 rental model, which allowed those with no savings to access clean power immediately.

2. Build Trust Through Community Partnership: Innovation requires buy-in. By training local women as ambassadors and engaging community leaders, Reeddi ensured that the technology felt like a local asset rather than an outside imposition.