Across Sub-Saharan Africa, over 600 million people lack access to reliable electricity, with rural communities accounting for the bulk of this energy poverty (IEA Africa Energy Outlook, 2022).
While solar energy offers a scalable and clean path forward, battery storage remains one of themost expensive components, constituting up to 60% of total solar system costs (IRENA, 2020).
This barrier disproportionately affects low-income households and small businesses, who often cannot afford the upfront investment needed to transition from fossil fuel-based or inconsistent grid energy.
At the same time, Africa is experiencing a surge in electronic waste, generating an estimated 2.9 million metric tonnes annually, with less than 17.4% of it properly collected and recycled (Global E-Waste Monitor, 2020). Lithium-ion batteries, found in discarded laptops, phones, and other electronics, are frequently dumped in landfills, despite retaining significant storage capacity.
Michael-Authority Odili, a Nigerian inventor and clean-tech engineer, unlocked this
overlooked resource through a circular energy model under Safebox Solutions.
His work focuses on recovering and reengineering lithium-ion batteries from e-waste to build solar-compatible energy storage systems for homes, clinics, schools, and micro-enterprises.
These systems are not limited to modular power banks. They are being deployed as low-cost home and business energy kits, enabling underserved communities to access power on a subscription or lease-to-own basis. This eliminates the burden of large upfront costs while delivering consistent, renewable energy for critical needs, especially in areas where grid power is unavailable or unreliable.
Odili said his approach combines: advanced battery balancing and safety protocols to extend battery life, AI-powered smart monitoring and load management, modular plug-and-play design, optimized for easy deployment and maintenance
This model ,he noted not only diverts harmful waste from the environment, but turns it into a sustainable power solution for the energy-poor.
“We are showing that waste isn’t just a problem, it’s also an answer. E-waste, when
recovered and re engineered, can light up homes, clinics, and businesses that have
never had stable electricity. We’re not just powering homes, we’re powering dignity,opportunity, and economic inclusion.” he stated.
Odili is a pioneering Nigerian scientist and entrepreneur who has devoted his career to
developing practical solutions that address energy poverty, environmental sustainability, and technological capacity-building in Nigeria and beyond.
As C.E.O. of Safebox Solutions, he has led several projects including deploying smart solar generators that now power over 250 healthcare facilities, businesses, and households across Nigeria, providing reliable energy where the grid is unreliable or entirely absent.
He led the production of Nigeria’s first solar-powered medical waste incinerators, an innovation carefully designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect frontline workers, prevent further disease
spread and incorporate advanced modern waste management in major Nigerian hospitals,including Adeoyo Hospital, Ibadan.
His scientific journey is marked by groundbreaking work harnessing hydrogen energy, solar technology, and power storage systems for providing electricity and supporting infrastructure for electric vehicles. His projects have also gotten recognition with the Milken-Motsepe Institute
(USA), Earth Tech (Australia), the Institute for Global Negotiation (Switzerland), the UNIDO
Global Cleantech Innovation Programme, and the KAUST Catalysis Centre in Saudi Arabia
where he partnered as a visiting researcher, leading a hydrogen project focused on developinglow-cost fuel cell technologies and polymer membranes that push the boundaries of cleanenergy access.
Beyond research and engineering, Authority is deeply committed to nurturing people. He has
mentored scores of young professionals and innovators, equipping them to turn their own ideasinto sustainable solutions. He has mobilized volunteers for community projects focused on digital skills training and grassroots waste recycling education, ensuring that clean technology solutions are accompanied by community understanding and ownership.
A dynamic speaker and advocate, Authority was a panel speaker at TEDxUniversityofBenin in 2023, where he shared insights on youth involvement in sustainable development. His research path took him to CERN in Geneva as a visiting researcher, and he led the Global Shapers Community in Benin City as curator under the World Economic Forum, amplifying youth voices on local and global stages.
His contributions have earned him numerous recognitions, including the Honorary Doctorate in Security and Intelligence from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (USA), the Milken-Motsepe
Prize in Clean Energy finalist position, the NAPE Energy Pitch-A-Ton first place winner in 2024, the Earth Tech Energy Challenge finalist in Australia, and 1st Prize at the Siemens-backed Edo Energy Hackathon. He is also a Certified NASA Space App Galactic Problem Solver and was a Semi-Finalist in the APSA Challenge Science and Technology in Ethiopia.
