Introduction

Dozie Igweilo is the founder of QuadLoop, a Nigerian cleantech company that leverages electronic waste (e-waste) to develop solar lanterns and solar home systems. Dozie’s entrepreneurial journey began with a deep desire to solve the energy challenges faced by Nigeria and other parts of Africa. His path to founding his company was shaped by his hands-on experiences and the pressing need for innovative energy and waste management solutions in the region.

The spark for innovation

After completing his university studies and serving in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Dozie joined a team of field engineers tasked with installing solar hybrid systems at telecom base-stations across Nigeria. This experience exposed him to solar energy and the reality that most parts of Nigeria remained off the grid, despite the existence of infrastructure like transformers and cables. In many cases, communities in these areas were only paying small amounts, sometimes less than USD 1, to charge their phones and devices. Nevertheless, Dozie realised that the solution was not sustainable. And so his vision grew, one in which renewable energy could be leveraged to both help underserved communities and build a viable business.

QuadLoop’s birth

At the age of 32, Dozie and his co-founder, whom he met at the School of Electronics in Lagos, began researching how to build energy products locally. They discovered that most of the products on the Nigerian market were imported, and creating mass-market products would be a significant challenge due to the high cost of raw materials and the lack of local manufacturing capacity. This led them to the innovative solution of e-waste. Nigeria is one of the largest consumers of electronics in Africa, resulting in a massive amount of discarded electronic products. This waste became the key to their entrepreneurial solution. By tapping into the local e-waste market (in both the formal and informal sectors), Dozie and his team started sourcing raw materials, such as batteries and wires, that could be repurposed to build products.

The journey to the final product was one of persistence and refinement. In 2016, Dozie and his co-founder began the ideation phase. By 2018, they had developed and sold the first version of QuadLoop’s flagship product, the IDunnu solar lantern. This portable solar lantern is made from 70% e-waste material and 30% virgin material and is designed to provide both lighting and mobile phone charging to address the energy needs of off-grid communities. The first version was intended for hospitals in off-grid rural areas.

While the initial sales were a step forward, feedback from hospital users revealed critical flaws, particularly with the lantern’s durability. The plastic body was fragile and prone to breaking, which led the team to halt sales and return to the drawing board for improvements.

After refining their design through 2019 and 2020, they developed a second version. This product brought them to a turning point in 2020, when they secured a USD 10,000 grant. However, despite its improved functionality, the second version was still not ideal due to the fragile material used for the body, which made it prone to damage if dropped.

In 2022, Dozie participated in an innovation programme on hardware production and design. This training led to the development of the third and current version of the solar lantern, which is made from more durable materials. From 2022 onward, QuadLoop began to gain traction with this final design, and sales have steadily increased. With a small but dedicated team, QuadLoop has produced nearly 500 lanterns and can produce over 100 units each month.

Alongside the IDunnu lantern, QuadLoop offers a Battery-as-a-Service model, allowing other solar companies to access affordable repurposed batteries, sourced from e-waste, at a fraction of the cost of importing new ones. This model has been particularly helpful to solar companies struggling with high foreign exchange rates and the cost of importing raw materials.

Additionally, QuadLoop has developed a solar generator designed for productive use, such as powering apartments. These products are also made from repurposed e-waste batteries, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

Essential resources that powered QuadLoop’s start

When Dozie first started QuadLoop, funding was one of the most crucial resources required to get the project off the ground. Drawing from his experience as a telecom field engineer, he saved up a portion of his earnings to fund the early stages of the business. This allowed him to set up an R&D lab and dedicate a space in an apartment for a workshop. The money he saved also went into purchasing basic tools such as workstations and multimeters. This significant personal investment laid the foundation for the company. In addition, QuadLoop secured a USD 10,000 grant from the Shell Foundation’s Holland programme. This grant played a pivotal role in helping Dozie and his team move from prototyping to creating the products that are now sold to customers.

Overcoming challenges: building QuadLoop against the odds

Dozie’s entrepreneurial journey hasn’t been without challenges. Limited access to funding, raw materials, machinery and human resource capital has been a significant roadblock on the way. Securing funding was one of the initial obstacles in Dozie’s startup journey. Initially, he had to rely on savings from his previous work to start QuadLoop, build a basic R&D lab and purchase essential tools. Funding remained a constant challenge, as scaling the business required significant capital for manufacturing and distribution.

Another major challenge was sourcing raw materials for the products. Given the high cost of importing new components and materials, Dozie’s team turned to e-waste as a sustainable alternative. Nigeria’s significant electronic waste problem provided an opportunity to repurpose discarded electronics into usable components, helping to mitigate the cost of raw materials. By working with local waste collectors and recycling networks, QuadLoop was able to secure essential materials for their products, making the business model both environmentally sustainable and cost-effective.

Creating physical hardware products presents unique challenges. At the beginning of their journey, QuadLoop lacked the necessary machinery to prototype and test their products. However, in 2018-2019, Dozie participated in a programme run by General Electric (GE) known as the GE Garage. This programme provided him with hands-on experience in product design, 3D printing and working with CNC lasers and other industrial machines crucial for hardware development. Through this programme, Dozie and his team gained valuable skills and access to the machinery they needed to refine their products.

Building a strong team was another hurdle, particularly when it came to convincing people to believe in the vision at such an early stage. Dozie faced challenges in finding skilled engineers and passionate individuals who were willing to join the venture, especially when the idea was still in its conceptual phase. Through persistence and the development of a clear vision, Dozie was able to assemble a team that shared his commitment to building a sustainable energy solution for off-grid communities.

Key drivers behind QuadLoop’s success

Dozie credits several factors for the growth and success of QuadLoop, especially partnerships, targeted programmes and access to valuable resources.

One of the driving forces behind QuadLoop’s success has been the strong partnerships Dozie has built with e-waste collectors. Given the company’s focus on leveraging waste as a raw material, collaborating with both formal and informal e-waste networks has been crucial.

Another key to QuadLoop’s success has been its participation in programmes specifically designed for hardware startups. In 2022, Dozie joined the IFA Innovates programme, which provided training and exposure to cutting-edge hardware design and prototyping. The programme, which ran for six months, featured guidance and gave Dozie and his team access to machinery and workstations. This hands-on experience played a pivotal role in refining QuadLoop’s prototype, helping the company move from an initial design to a more robust and reliable product.

Empowering the next generation: QuadLoop’s commitment to youth development and job creation

One of the key aspects of QuadLoop’s growth has been its commitment to creating job opportunities for young people, particularly from the local community. Recognising that many university graduates may not be able to find well-paying jobs, Dozie decided to offer opportunities to young individuals living near the company’s warehouse. These individuals, typically secondary school leavers or young adults already working in small jobs, then had the chance to join the team, even when they lacked prior experience in the renewable energy sector.

At first, these young recruits were trained from the ground up, with Dozie personally overseeing their development. Despite limited funds, Dozie viewed this as an investment in the team’s growth and provided these young people with training and paid them an amount comparable to what they were earning in their previous jobs. Over time, these young individuals were able to gain practical skills and experience, which allowed them to take on more responsibilities within the company.

Today, QuadLoop employs six full-time staff members, with two interns gaining valuable experience. The success of these young recruits is evident, as many of them are now able to handle tasks independently without requiring close supervision. Their success is a testament to the company’s investment in local talent and its role in providing employment opportunities in the community.

Overcoming barriers to building a skilled workforce

Engaging young people in the organisation has not come without its challenges. In recent years, the enthusiasm for long-term careers in tech manufacturing has significantly waned. While the tech ecosystem boomed just a few years ago, with a rising interest in hardware startups, that energy has since diminished. Many young people now focus on quick money-making avenues, such as content creation on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. This mindset leaves little room for those willing to commit to long-term ventures, especially in physical tech production, which demands years of patience and consistent work.

For QuadLoop, the challenge lies in finding young people who are not only willing to make the long-term investment in their careers but also have the necessary skills. The company has encountered a shortage of candidates with adequate experience, and have had to invest considerable resources in training young people from the local community. This approach has only been sustainable up to a point, as scaling the business now requires staff who can immediately contribute effectively. The difficulty of balancing the need for experienced professionals with the limited financial resources for hiring has created a complex dilemma. However, QuadLoop continues to provide opportunities for youth, aiming to bridge the skills gap and inspire the next generation of young innovators in hardware development.

Creating an enabling environment for innovation

For Dozie, an enabling environment for innovation in Africa requires essential infrastructure and supportive policies. He highlights the need for affordable and reliable electricity supply as a cornerstone for any tech-driven startup. In Nigeria, electricity costs are often high – a significant barrier for businesses relying on energy-intensive production processes.

In addition to infrastructure, Dozie stresses the importance of favourable policies to support entrepreneurs. For instance, he shares the challenges of shipping products internationally, where exorbitant costs and delays hinder business growth. A recent experience involved shipping a USD 50 lantern to a customer in South Africa: The shipping fees amounted to USD 150, making the process financially inefficient. Such obstacles discourage cross-border trade. Additionally, the high customs duties on materials such as PCBs (printed circuit boards) further inflate the cost of production.

Dozie believes that these policies and logistical bottlenecks should be addressed to make the environment more conducive for innovators. Simplifying export and import processes, reducing tariffs and providing more affordable access to energy would help reduce production costs, enabling African innovators to scale and compete globally.

Vision for the future: scaling and expanding beyond borders

Dozie envisions a bold future for QuadLoop in the next five years. His goal is to take the company beyond Nigeria’s borders, expanding its reach to other African nations such as Mozambique and Tanzania. This expansion would not only involve supplying products to these markets but also establishing local manufacturing hubs that leverage e-waste collected within those regions. With a vision of operating in multiple countries, QuadLoop aims to manufacture and sell thousands of units annually, targeting a production scale of up to 10,000 lanterns. This growth would also necessitate expanding the team and infrastructure, including acquiring large-scale machinery for in-house production, which would further drive down production and sales costs.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Drawing from his journey, Dozie offers three key pillars for young entrepreneurs: start early, maintain focus and understand your purpose.

He stresses the importance of starting early, believing that the sooner you begin, the better your chances for growth and learning. This allows entrepreneurs to learn from mistakes and adapt to challenges.

Dozie also advises having a clear, unwavering roadmap. Shifting goals too often can lead to burnout and wasted time; sticking to a plan, even in tough times, ensures long-term success.

Lastly, he highlights the importance of understanding your purpose. Knowing why you’re pursuing your business helps you stay motivated and navigate obstacles.