Lighting Homes and Driving Development Across West Africa with Lumos

Access to reliable energy remains one of the most significant barriers to economic development across West Africa. Across Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, millions of households and small businesses still depend on costly and polluting alternatives such as petrol generators or kerosene lighting, which constrain productivity and affect health outcomes. Lumos is helping to reshape this reality by delivering high-quality solar power systems (SPS) that make clean electricity accessible to small businesses and households in communities across the region. By combining digital technology, lease-to-own financing and community partnerships, Lumos lights homes and supports long-term economic growth, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.

Expanding Access to Clean Energy Across West Africa

Energy access is a foundational driver of development, and West Africa faces persistent electricity gaps that limit industrial activity, education and household welfare. Lumos addresses this challenge by providing SPS designed to power essential appliances, including lighting, computers, fans and televisions. Each system is built to support household and small business needs, enabling a range of productive devices to operate while maintaining a reliable power supply throughout the evening.

The impact of this access is significant, with over 1.5 million people estimated to now benefit from clean power through Lumos installations, supporting improved learning outcomes, better communication and greater economic participation. Children benefit from an additional 20 minutes of study time on average, helping them finish homework after sunset, while families can stay connected through their digital devices and small businesses can extend their operating hours into the evening.

In addition to expanding energy availability, Lumos contributes to regional climate objectives. By replacing fossil fuel-based electricity sources, Lumos helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support West Africa’s transition toward cleaner energy infrastructure.

The Business Model Driving Financial Inclusion and Affordability

One of the most compelling aspects of the Lumos approach is its customer-centric financing structure. Energy solutions are often financially out of reach for lower and middle income households when purchased upfront. Lumos addresses this barrier through a lease-to-own model that reduces entry costs while maintaining long-term affordability.

Customers can initiate the purchase of a SPS via mobile platforms by paying a modest installation fee that covers delivery and setup. The remaining cost is distributed across monthly payments of approximately $16 to $26 depending on tenure length, which represents a substantial reduction compared with the estimated $75 that many households spend each month on generator fuel. This financing structure delivers predictable energy costs for consumers while generating stable recurring savings for home and business users, who are estimated to save around $59 per month compared with petrol-based electricity generation. In turn, these savings translate into increased disposable income that can be redirected toward education, healthcare and small business investment, thereby reinforcing local economic resilience.

Community Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Multipliers

Lumos operates a community-driven distribution and service ecosystem that extends its impact beyond energy provision alone. The Village Community Programme plays a central role in this strategy by empowering local entrepreneurs to act as installation agents and customer service Partners. In 2025, the programme engaged over 800 community Partners, representing a 50% year-on-year increase and supporting the creation of local employment opportunities while ensuring customers receive responsive, locally delivered service support.

In Nigeria, some community Partners working with Lumos are now reaching monthly incomes exceeding N1,000,000, the equivalent of around $660. At this level, Partners typically manage teams of up to ten deputies, serve hundreds of customers, and operate at a significantly expanded scale of solar energy distribution.

With support from Lumos, Partners recruit, employ and manage their own deputies to expand customer outreach and strengthen service delivery. By extending their capacity, these deputies enable Partners to scale their businesses more quickly and achieve meaningful income growth. Within a similar 4-6 month trajectory, some Partners move from entry-level activity into meaningful income expansion. Indeed, one Partner who previously ran a small bottled water business earns over N250,000 after a few months, the equivalent of around $165 per month, distributing solar energy services, while a former teacher increased her monthly income from N70,000, around $45, to more than N200,000, approximately $130, by serving over 100 clients.

This decentralised structure strengthens rural and peri-urban economic participation. By embedding commercial activity within local communities, Lumos helps ensure that value creation remains geographically distributed rather than concentrated in urban centres.

Environmental Impact and Sustainable Energy Transition

From an environmental perspective, the adoption of SPS delivers measurable reductions in pollution and carbon emissions. When compared with national grid alternatives, approximately 15,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions were also avoided.

The scale of fossil fuel displacement is particularly important in Nigeria, where millions of small generators are still in use. With over 22 million polluting and noisy generators operating across the country, the shift toward solar energy represents a significant public health and environmental opportunity. Moreover, fuel consumption reductions are equally substantial. The use of Lumos SPS is estimated to save around 150 million litres of petrol annually, helping households and businesses reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices while lowering environmental damage associated with combustion engines.

Lumos also demonstrates strong commitment to responsible resource management across its supply chain and operational lifecycle. Solar products are sourced from certified suppliers that meet international quality assurance standards, including databases aligned with global off-grid energy initiatives. These standards help ensure that distributed products are durable, safe and environmentally responsible. End-of-life management is another priority as battery and electronic waste is handled in accordance with Nigerian environmental regulations, with appropriate permits obtained from local authorities responsible for waste management and environmental protection.

Building a Scalable Energy Future

Lumos demonstrates strong characteristics of a scalable impact-driven platform supported by consistent commercial and operational performance. Human capital development remains a priority. Lumos employs around 400 permanent staff members, with women representing 30% of senior management roles. Training programmes have delivered more than 35,000 employee training hours, reflecting a strong commitment to organisational capability building.

Recurring revenue generation, community-embedded distribution and climate-aligned impact metrics support Lumos’ long-term growth trajectory within the energy transition sector.

Lumos’ governance and risk management framework further strengthens operational resilience. Anti-corruption policies, whistleblowing mechanisms, responsible sourcing commitments and emergency preparedness protocols are embedded within day-to-day operations to help manage environmental and social risks effectively.

Driving West Africa’s Energy Future Through Affordable Clean Power

Access to affordable, reliable and clean energy is central to West Africa’s economic future. By combining technology, community engagement and innovative financing, Lumos is helping transform energy access into a catalyst for entrepreneurship, productivity and environmental sustainability. Lumos' model demonstrates that commercial success and social impact can grow together. As demand for distributed renewable energy continues to rise across the region, Lumos is positioned to play a significant role in shaping the next phase of West Africa’s energy transition, delivering value to households, businesses and investors alike.