Lumos launches nationwide solar electricity service in Côte d'Ivoire
The Lumos Mobile Electricity Service aims to bring power to millions of people who do not currently have access to an affordable, reliable or clean energy supply.
The service is paid for using mobile phone credit and is available to all of the roughly 10.5 million MTN Cote d'Ivoire subscribers, through a partnership between Lumos and MTN.
At the launch event, hosted by Cote d'Ivoire's Minister for Economic Infrastructure and Mayor of Divo Amédé Koffi Kouakou, Lumos and MTN Cote d'Ivoire announced that the service will now be available in MTN stores across the country.
The event was attended by hundreds of local residents, in a demonstration of the appeal of solar energy to ordinary Ivorians and the demand for reliable power, particularly outside of major urban centers. It is estimated that only around 40% of Ivorians are connected to the national electricity grid.
Lumos' service has been available in neighboring Nigeria since 2016 and has experienced rapid growth - over 65,000 systems have been sold, and 250,000 people have been provided with electricity. Many of Lumos' Nigerian customers are small businesses that use the power to stay open later hours, thereby increasing revenues.
The service also is enabling thousands of children to study into the evening, and powers clinics and community centers across Nigeria. The service stands to have the same impact in Cote d'Ivoire.
Lumos also has created over 1,100 jobs in Nigeria. With swift expansion planned throughout Cote d'Ivoirethe company will be making a significant investment in creating new jobs for Ivorians.
At the launch event in Divo, Stephane Abrahams, CEO of Lumos Cote d'Ivoire said: "Today, the mobile energy revolution arrived in Cote d'Ivoire. Families and businesses across the country now have access to affordable solar electricity. We are honored to bring our technology here, and we look forward to working with the Government and stakeholders to increase energy access for all Ivorians."
MTN Côte d'Ivoire representative Frank Logroan said: "Our vision has always been to make the lives of our communities brighter, and today we are proud to partner with Lumos to provide solar electricity using our technologies. We are confident that this new service will benefit our customers and communities with a quality, affordable alternative electricity solution."
