Kolapo Ogungbile is the chief executive officer of Lihon Energy – a business delivering renewable energy solutions to homes and businesses in Africa.
Ogungbile leads innovation at Lihon Energy, after building and supporting businesses that create value in real, tangible ways, especially in energy, and tech ecosystem, that later inspired him to venture into Solar Container in 2025.
“The Solar Container is a Netherlands-based innovation, and we’re proud to be the official distributors in Nigeria,” he said.
He explained that his firm is committed to always seeking ways to make renewable energy more accessible, efficient, and impactful. A typical solar deployment in Nigeria, takes weeks, or even months, to move from procurement to full installation.
“The Solar Container was designed to completely change that experience. It’s essentially a 20ft container packed with solar panels that unfold like origami into a full solar plant and can be collapsed back just as easily,” he explained.
“With just three people and a crane, you can deploy or relocate it in a matter of hours. Its mobility, speed, and clean energy, rolled into one powerful product,” he added.
On the challenges faced in the business, Ogungbile, said, “Beyond inflation, one big challenge is awareness. Many decision-makers still don’t know that something like the Solar Container exists.
“Another challenge is financing, renewable solutions are capital-intensive upfront, even though they save money long-term.”
To navigate the financial murky waters, he disclosed that they are working closely with banks, investors, and development partners to create accessible financing models that can unlock adoption.
The tech-entrepreneur explained that climate tech funding in Nigeria and Africa, is at a turning point, because interest in climate tech is growing, especially from international funders; however, he said that local investment is still lagging behind.
“Many startups are building amazing solutions, but funding rarely matches their potential.
“I believe the future lies in blended finance, where development institutions, commercial banks, and private investors come together to de-risk investments.
“And importantly, local capital must get bolder. Africa’s climate challenges are also investment opportunities if we frame them right,” he said.
He emphasised that the Solar Container helps in the fight against climate change; though, a lot of operations across Africa still rely heavily on diesel, especially those in remote or off-grid areas like mining sites, oil and gas facilities, remote farms, field hospitals, and even emergency response centers.
He stressed that not only is diesel expensive and logistically stressful, it is also harmful to the environment, which makes the Solar Container provides a reliable, renewable alternative.
“Each container system can generate up to 138 kWp, and by switching from diesel to solar, it can help prevent around 155 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.
“That’s a huge step toward energy sustainability and climate responsibility, especially for industries that can’t afford to compromise on power supply,” he noted.
However, speaking about the impact of inflation on the business, he said that inflation hits hard in sectors like the energy space where equipment and components are mostly imported.
“Costs can fluctuate wildly in just a few weeks. But what has helped us stay grounded is localising aspects of our operations, like working with local technicians, building strong logistics partnerships, and offering flexible payment plans for our customers,” he said.
Ogungbile revealed that his business’s future plans are both short and long term.
According to him, “In the short term, we’re focused on deploying Solar Containers to high-impact sites, think farming clusters, mini-industrial zones, and construction operations. We want to prove just how flexible and powerful this solution can be.
“Long term, we’re looking at local assembly and modular upgrades. We want to create a version of the Solar Container that’s tailored to specific African use-cases, whether that’s agro-processing, mobile clinics, or refugee camps. The potential is huge.”
For other entrepreneurs who desire to start solve real problem, he urges start with the pain points people are living with, and build solutions that actually make life better; and be patient but persistent.
