Impact Stories

Aminat Salami - “I hope to empower women to have a voice."

Aminat Salami’s passion has always been to be an asset to her country, Nigeria. Joining Solar Sister in 2019, Aminat combines her dedication to helping others with her desire to combat energy poverty and champion clean energy accessibility, particularly in isolated or last-mile communities.

Aminat traces the roots of her passion to witnessing the dangers of relying on alternative energy sources while growing up in her community, like using kerosene for lighting and open fires for cooking.

Aminat is on a mission: to educate and raise awareness about the toxic effects lurking behind pollutants like candles, lanterns, Jago lamps *, open fires, and even grass burning. But her passion goes beyond spreading awareness. With her support, a group of driven entrepreneurs are transforming her message into action.

“It’s empowering to see other women beside me unfolding their wings, holding the key to unlock their dreams and fulfilling their destiny through their clean energy business.”

These entrepreneurs are more than just businessmen and women; they’re community advocates, lighting the path to clean energy solutions. Their work emphasizes the numerous benefits of renewable energy and amplifies the call for a more sustainable future.

Under Aminat’s guidance, these entrepreneurs have found success and grown in confidence. Many have emerged as formidable and inspiring female voices in renewable energy, demonstrating that with the right push, we can turn the tide against pollution and light up our world in more ways than one.

“Each month, I collaborate closely to involve women in meaningful energy discussions, identifying those with a keen business sense. I actively recruit and mentor these women, equipping them to become powerful advocates for clean energy distribution within their communities.”

“My work often takes me to travel back roads for many hours to reach remote communities to pitch our business opportunities and bring a clean energy solution to their homes. My work is driven by the impact that I know clean, affordable light can have on a community, including improvement in productivity level.”

Aminat is proud that two of her entrepreneurs received recognition for their community impact in 2021 from the Shine Campaign and the Africa Solar Industry Association.

Kafayat Ajiboye received the Shine Award by submitting her business plan.  From a pool of over 264 submissions, 12 recipients from Africa and Asia were selected as awardees of the COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The Shine Campaign mobilizes resources for women-led, community-driven renewable energy to households, businesses, and communities.

Solar Sister Entrepreneur Kudirat Salieu won the African Solar Entrepreneur of the Year by the African Solar industry. The awards recognize individuals and companies whose efforts have resulted in significant achievements and promotion. There were 48 Nominees across 15 categories and spanning a record number of more than 20 countries. 

*A Jago lamp is is a kerosene lamp with an open burning fire. The lamp is made of tin and thread. The kerosene is placed inside the tin while the line is soaked inside, and some parts are left exposed to generate light.

Exciting News!: Elsevier and the International Solar Energy Society ISES are delighted to announce that Solar Sister ???? is the winner of the 2023 Renewable Transformation Challenge, winning with their entry titled “Empowering Women to Eradicate Energy Poverty.”