At 74 years old, Ramota Muili is known in her community in Nigeria as “Iya Oni Solar”, the woman who sells gold and solar lights. The nickname always makes her smile. It’s a sign of pride and proof that her work matters.
But her journey into entrepreneurship was sparked by deep loss.
“After my husband died, life became very hard,” she shares. “At that time, I was a widow left with the responsibility of taking care of my children and grandchildren.” She worked tirelessly, selling whatever she could, herbs, earrings, jewelry, even cocoa from her farmland, to make ends meet.
“I moved around with different things to sell,” she says. “I also have a farmland where cocoa is planted, so I monitor the workers and run operations on the farm too.”
Her life took a positive turn during a visit to her sister in Lagos. “She introduced the solar lamps to me. She asked me to pay a little money and take them back to Ibadan to sell in my village.”
Ramota followed her sister’s advice. To her surprise, the lamps sold out quickly.
“I realized the lamps were in demand. I quickly sold them and requested another batch. That’s when I was introduced to the Business Development Associate in Oyo State. She came to my house, trained me on the business and the company, and I bought another carton of lamps from her. That’s how I started, on December 19th, 2019.”
“Solar Sister changed my finances. I could sell lamps for more because people in rural areas pay in installments. It helped me manage my income and support my children when needed.”
Ramota Muili (R) with her Business Development Associate, (L) Abosede Olarinre.
Lighting Rural Communities
“Solar reading lamps are affordable compared to the bigger systems,” she explains. “In rural communities, people use them for studying, working, or cooking at night. I go from one community to another. I stay in a town with three connected communities, so I go there to sell. I carry my goods to the farmland where I stay for some weeks to work on the farm and also sell my products adjacent to my place of operations there.
Bringing clean energy to these communities is important work for women; women especially understand the real need for clean energy as opposed to using torchlights and candles.”
“I go to market days too. I display my goods, which include solar lamps, jewelry, earrings, and local herbs, and they come to ask me for prices. Some pay up in cash, while some pay half, and I collect the rest of the money when I come back on the next market day.”
Training That Builds Confidence
Solar Sister’s training has been key to her growth. She points to lessons in financial management as the most valuable.
“Reinvesting profits and managing money has really supported and helped my business to grow,” she says. She’s also learned to encourage others. Sometimes, she buys lamps for neighbors to sell so they can earn their own income.
“At times, I also buy and use it to encourage anyone I see not working, and occasionally I give out some of the reading lamps to friends or family as gifts.” She dreams of seeing her children and grandchildren financially independent. “Through my work, I still support them with money anytime I have. I dream for my children to attain greater heights.
As a Solar Sister entrepreneur, I’ve seen real change, especially in my finances. The benefits have been so strong that I encouraged my married daughter, who lives in the same community, to join in April 2021. Though she runs her own pharmacy and has a background in healthcare, she saw the potential in Solar Sister and made it part of her business. The results have been remarkable, and I’m proud to see her thriving.”
Earning Respect and Recognition
For Ramota, the respect she has earned means as much as the income.
“My proudest moment is when people refer to me as Iya Oni Gold, Oni Solar de oo! It gives me reassurance that what I sell brings satisfaction to people’s lives.”
A Life of Purpose
She recalls one time when she couldn’t buy new lamps because she didn’t have a phone to reach her Business Development Associate (BDA).
“I felt bad when I saw disappointment on people’s faces who came to buy. I had to rush home and ask my daughter to help me contact the BDA.
When I finally bought the lamps, I was happy, not just for the profit, but because I was helping people get what they needed.”