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Solar-powered box invented in Herts 'transforming Nigerian lives'

BBC · last updated

A small solar-powered box developed in the East of England is providing power to people in Nigeria and “transforming how they live and work”.

The Powerbox SE has been developed at Hertfordshire Business School, which is part of the University of Hertfordshire, and a Nigerian manufacturer.

The project is led by Prof Hafiz Alaka, who grew up in the African country with “unreliable or non-existent electricity”.

He said the box offered “a sustainable, low-cost solution”.

University of Hertfordshire A man standing in a room to the right. A woman sitting on the floor is holding a blender. There is a large television on the wall, in a wooden box unit. The floor has white tiles. The man is wearing a blue T-shirt, black trousers and shoes, and the woman is wearing a black and white dress.University of Hertfordshire
Prof Hafiz Alaka (right) has visited Nigeria to work on the product and see it in action

The box is being used in remote parts of Nigeria and can power everyday items such as lights, fans, laptops and washing machines. Each one absorbs about 1,200 watt-hours of solar energy a day.

In Kaduna State, 70 units are already in use.

“Many households and small businesses are too far from the national grid to access power, and this affects everything from trade to communication and education,” said Alaka, associate dean in research and enterprise at the business school and director of the Big Data Technologies and Innovation laboratory.

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