For years, the biggest conversation around solar in Nigeria sounded the same:
“It’s too expensive.”
“It won’t carry my appliances.”
“What if it stops working after two months?”
People wanted a better power solution—everyone is tired of noise, fuel scarcity, and unpredictable bills—but they didn’t believe solar was for them.
It felt like a luxury, not a lifestyle shift.
When we introduced PowerNow PayLater, the goal was simple:
Make solar accessible to real people.
Not just the wealthy.
Not just the tech-savvy.
Everyone.
But what happened next surprised even me.
Because PayLater didn’t just make solar affordable…
it changed the entire conversation.
1. From “Solar Is Too Expensive” to “Wait, I Can Actually Start Small”
Before Powernow, most customers only saw the upfront price:
₦600k, ₦800k, ₦1.2m…
That amount alone pushed many people back to generators.
But once Powernow came in, something shifted.
People started asking:
“How much is first payment?”
“Can I start with this system and upgrade later?”
“So I can spread my payment without stress?”
Solar went from a big purchase to a manageable decision.
And once customers realized they didn’t need to break their savings to enjoy steady power, adoption naturally grew.
2. From Confusion to Clarity: A Model People Could Finally Understand
In the beginning, many Nigerians thought the model was leasing:
“So I’ll pay every month but the solar won’t be mine?”
We had to repeat one thing clearly:
You own your system.
You’re only spreading the cost.
We simplified our communication:
Shorter explanations.
Practical examples.
Visual guides.
And slowly, confusion dropped.
Understanding increased.
Trust grew.
Once people understood the model, they embraced it.
3. From Skepticism to Trust: A Market That Finally Believed Again
Nigeria has been burned by too many promises—especially in the energy sector.
People have bought solar kits that failed within weeks.
They’ve dealt with untrained installers.
They’ve met companies that disappeared after collecting money.
So skepticism was expected.
But Powernow forced us to do something different:
show up consistently.
Follow up.
Teach.
Explain.
Serve.
The result?
People didn’t just trust the solution.
They trusted us, the makers behind it.
That shift is priceless.
4. From Selling Solar to Selling Peace of Mind
Before Powernow, the solar conversation in Nigeria was about price and capacity.
After Powernow, it became about experience:
No more generator noise.
No more fuel scarcity.
No more waking up at 2 a.m. to restart a dead generator.
No more “NEPA just took light” stress.
People started seeing solar as relief, not technology.
And that mindset change is what has pushed the industry forward.
What This Taught Me as a Founder
Changing the solar conversation taught me three powerful lessons:
Lesson 1: Innovation isn’t complete until people understand it.
You can build something great, but if the market can’t grasp it, it won’t grow.
Lesson 2: Trust is the real product.
Solar is just the installation.
Trust is what keeps customers choosing you.
Lesson 3: Accessibility creates adoption.
When you remove barriers, people stop hesitating and start participating.
Final Thought
PowerNow PayLater didn’t just bring a new payment model.
It helped Nigerians see solar differently.
Not as a luxury.
Not as a risk.
Not as a complicated system.
But as something they can finally own — and rely on.
That’s how the conversation changed.
And it’s only the beginning.
