When we launched PowerNow PayLater, I believed the hardest part would be building the technology, securing the supply chain, and creating a smooth payment experience.
I was wrong.
The real challenge was getting people to understand and trust something new.
Most Nigerians are tired of being disappointed. They’ve bought faulty products. They’ve been promised solutions that never worked. So when you introduce “a new model,” the first reaction is never excitement — it’s suspicion.
And that’s exactly what we faced.
Challenge 1: Explaining That PayLater Wasn’t ‘Leasing’
In the early days, many customers assumed PowerNow was a leasing program.
Some even said:
“So you mean the solar is not my own?”
We had to explain repeatedly that it wasn’t leasing — it was ownership through structured payments.
But that experience taught me something important:
your model may be perfect, but if your message is unclear, customers will create their own version of it.
So we simplified the communication.
More visuals.
More examples.
More relatable explanations.
Communication didn’t just improve sales — it improved trust.
Challenge 2: Onboarding a Distrustful Market
Solar is still “new” in many communities. People want it, but they’re not sure if it will last or if they’re being sold something they don’t fully understand.
So during onboarding, we faced two issues:
1. People didn’t trust the idea enough to commit.
2. People expected solar to power everything — including heavy appliances.
To solve this, we didn’t just onboard.
We educated.
We created energy guides.
We trained our sales team to speak in simple language.
We walked customers through what their system could or couldn’t carry.
And slowly, something changed:
People started to believe us.
Challenge 3: Getting Customers to Adopt Solar Across Nigeria
Nigeria is large, diverse, and unpredictable.
What works in Lagos won’t always work in Kaduna.
What customers in Benin understand may confuse someone in Ibadan.
But adoption increased when we stopped selling “solar” and started selling a lifestyle change:
No more noise.
No more heat during the night.
No more waking up to a generator that refused to start.
Solar is not a luxury.
It’s relief.
Once people understood this, adoption started to grow.
What These Challenges Taught Me as a Founder
Looking back, launching PowerNow PayLater taught me four big lessons:
1. If people don’t understand your model, the fault is in your communication — not the market.
You must say it clearly, simply, and repeatedly.
2. Trust is earned one explanation at a time.
In a market where people feel deceived often, clarity becomes a superpower.
3. You can’t scale a business if you don’t educate the market first.
Education reduces fear.
Fear kills adoption.
4. Innovation is not just about creating something new — it’s about teaching people how to use it.
A founder must be a builder and a teacher.
Final Thoughts
Launching PowerNow PayLater wasn’t easy.
But the challenges shaped us.
They made us better communicators.
Better listeners.
Better builders.
And as we keep expanding across Nigeria, one thing is clear:
The future of energy is not just solar — it’s understanding.
And once people understand, they adopt.
