Telios targets energy revolution with zero-cost solar installations for homes, businesses 

Charles Okonji

A Nigerian renewable energy company,  Telios Intelligence, has unveiled an ambitious plan to tackle the country’s persistent electricity challenges by providing fully funded solar power installations for homes, businesses and communities at no upfront cost to consumers. 

The company said the innovative model allows customers to receive complete solar installations from design and installation to commissioning, without making any initial payment. Instead, consumers will be metered and billed only for the electricity they consume.

The initiative was unveiled by the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Telios Intelligence, Olubunmi Olajide, during a high-level investors’ and stakeholders’ meeting held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

Olajide described unreliable electricity  as one of Nigeria’s greatest development challenges, stressing that Telios was established to bridge the country’s energy gap by making reliable and affordable electricity accessible to every Nigerian.

According to him, the company’s vision is to remove the financial barriers that prevent many individuals and businesses  from adopting renewable energy solutions.

“Our goal is to make stable electricity available to everyone-whether they are manufacturers, traders, households, rural communities or small businesses, without requiring them to bear the huge cost of installation,” he said.

He explained that Telios is partnering with investors and financiers to fund the construction of high-quality renewable energy infrastructure, while consumers simply pay for the electricity they use.

“We are building a seamless system where people no longer need to worry about purchasing expensive solar equipment. We install the systems, meter the users,  and they pay only for the power they consume,” Olajide said.

He added that the initiative would  provide uninterrupted electricity for homes and businesses, enabling users to power appliances, charge devices and run operations without depending heavily on diesel generators or the unstable national grid.

Addressing concerns over the safety of solar installations, the CEO maintained that Telios uses only premium, quality components, including solar panels, batteries, inverters and cables, manufactured to strict international specifications.

According to him, many fire outbreaks  and equipment failures associated with solar installations are caused by the use of substandard materials and poor installation practices.

Olajide explained that the company’s technology driven monitoring system provides real-time data on every installed facility, enabling faults to be detected long before they become major problems.

“If a battery that should last five years begins to underperform after one year, our system immediately detects it. Investors and developers are notified, allowing corrective measures to be taken before the  situation results in prolonged outages or equipment damage,” he said.

He noted that the technology promotes  transparency and accountability by ensuring that developers maintain the quality of every installation throughout its lifespan.

Speaking during the event, the company’s Chief Technical Officer and Co-founder, Williams Babatunde, disclosed  that Telios has already achieved more than 5 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity and is planning an aggressive expansion.

According to him, the next target is to scale operations to gigawatt- level generation within a short period before expanding into other African countries, including Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and parts of the Middle East.

Babatunde said the company intends to deploy community-based solar systems for estates and commercial clusters, where residents will receive electricity through a central renewable energy facility and pay according to consumption.

He also disclosed that Telios is engaging  installation companies across Nigeria, a move expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

The company, he added, is also exploring partnerships with electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) to develop interconnected mini-grids capable of improving electricity supply to commercial, industrial and residential consumers.

“We want to complement existing electricity infrastructure while significantly  reducing downtime currently experienced by businesses and households,” he said.

Babatunde explained that Telios intends to adopt a flexible pricing model that reflects the needs of different consumer  groups.

While customers in high-income urban areas may pay commercial rates, farmers and agrarian communities will enjoy lower tariffs to encourage agricultural production and reduce post-harvest losses.

He disclosed that the company is discussing partnerships with investors to finance cold storage facilities and refrigerated  transportation systems that will preserve agricultural produce from farms to markets.

According to him, the initiative is expected to reduce food wastage, improve food security and contribute to price stability  across Nigeria.

Beyond improving electricity access,  Babatunde said the project would create thousands of employment opportunities across the renewable energy value chain.

He identified installers, engineers, technicians, marketers, customer service personnel, accountants, manufacturers, suppliers, security personnel and logistics providers among those expected to benefit  from the initiative.

He further noted that Nigeria possesses  enormous potential to manufacture or assemble renewable energy components locally, a development that could stimulate industrial growth and significantly contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“We are building a company that can become a billion-dollar enterprise while contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s industrial development,” he said.

Also speaking, the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder, Chigozie Uba, revealed that his passion for solving Nigeria’s electricity crisis was inspired by a traumatic childhood experience.

He recounted how a power outage interrupted an emergency surgical operation when he was nine years old because electricity supplied by the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) failed,  forcing doctors to suspend the procedure until a generator was powered.

The experience, he said, inspired him to  study engineering at the University of Lagos before venturing into infrastructure finance.

“I realised that great ideas alone cannot solve societal problems without access to  financing. My passion became connecting capital with infrastructure development,” he explained.

Uba argued that Africa’s energy future  lies in decentralised renewable energy systems capable of operating independently of unstable national grids.

He noted that repeated failures of Nigeria’s national grid have demonstrated the urgent need for alternative energy solutions that are reliable, affordable and  sustainable.

According to him, Telios is developing a  technology platform that connects investors with renewable energy developers while providing transparency throughout project execution.

He added that the company’s long-term vision includes local manufacturing of renewable energy components to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen Africa’s industrial capacity.

“Our mission is to develop technology in Africa, by Africans and for Africans. As  investments grow, we intend to localise manufacturing and build a renewable energy ecosystem that serves the continent while creating jobs and driving economic growth,” Uba said.

Industry stakeholders at the meeting described the initiative as a potentially transformative model capable of expanding electricity access, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, promoting clean energy adoption and accelerating Nigeria’s transition towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.