IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2019 - 47

FLAG: ©ISTOCKPHOTO/X
TOCKIMAGES; FIST: ©ISTO
CKPHOTO/OLEKSII YERE
MIEIEV

Green
Village
Electric
Shines
Bright
Improving Lives
in Nigeria With
Aid From
IEEE Smart Village
by Dan Estes

O

ne of the IEEE Smart Village (ISV) initiative's model success stories is Green Village
Electric (GVE) Projects in Port Harcourt,
Nigeria. As college students, Ifeanyi Orajaka
(Figure  1) and his GVE cofounders, Chuka
Eze and Ikechukwu Onyekwelu, had a dream. They envisioned using their electrical engineering background to
improve lives in their home state of Anambra, Nigeria.
Early in 2012, their efforts received sponsorship from what
was, at the time, the IEEE Power Engineering Society
(PES) Community Solutions Initiative. From that initial
seed funding, Orajaka and his team have grown their business to serve more than 14 villages, employ 54 people, create more than 975 indirect jobs, and provide power to more
than 7,320 households. As of April 2019, GVE has installed
650.45 kW of solar power systems for rural energy access.
Orajaka has matured his business model and learned
what does and does not work in the renewable energy sector in remote areas of the world. For his knowledge and
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSMC.2019.2916243
Date of publication: 5 August 2019

2333-942X/19©2019IEEE

success, he has been recognized as an emerging leader in
Africa, most recently being named an Obama Foundation
fellow in former U.S. President Barack Obama's Leaders:
Africa Program. GVE was recognized in January 2019 by
the London Stock Exchange Group, African Development
Bank, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
as one of the fastest-growing private businesses in SubSaharan Africa. From his humble beginnings in Anambra,
Orajaka has proved that the ISV's sustainability objectives
are obtainable.
"From the pilot projects we have deployed, our business model has proven sustainable and scalable," Orajaka
said. "Our fee structure is designed to give customers the
best service at the lowest possible rate, making off-grid
electricity possible, reliable, and affordable. Our ultimate goal, with the Bank of Industry's financing and the
support of the ISV, is to light 250,000 homes to serve
1 million people by our 10th year corporate anniversary, in 2022."
He added, "This ambitious plan will sustain GVE Projects, Ltd., if all goes well. One of our major drivers has
been the satisfaction we take in creating value and the
Ju ly 2019

IEEE SYSTEMS, MAN, & CYBERNETICS MAGAZINE

47



IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2019

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IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2019 - Cover1
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IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Magazine - July 2019 - Cover3
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