In a bid to address two pressing issues in Nigeria’s agriculture – carbon emissions and rainfed cultivation, Hakeem Disu, managing director of Lihon Energy and an innovative entrepreneur, has emerged as a trailblazer in the renewable energy industry.
His business’s groundbreaking initiative is not only empowering smallholder farmers with tools to grow food all year round but also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sustainably cultivating their produce.
“The inspiration behind our solar-powered water pump solution came from a desire to address a pressing and deeply local challenge—water accessibility for farmers and rural communities,” Hakeem says.
“In my work within the renewable energy space, I saw firsthand how many communities in Nigeria either had no access to water or relied on costly, unreliable diesel generators to irrigate their farms,” he explains.
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“In a country blessed with abundant sunlight, we had to start harnessing solar energy not just for electricity but to transform agriculture,” he emphasizes.
According to him, Nigerian farmers lose over N1.5 trillion ($1bn) yearly during the dry season owing to limited access to irrigation facilities.
He notes that only a percent of the country’s cultivated land is irrigated, leaving the majority of farmers to depend on rainfed agriculture.
Hakeem stresses that this has far-reaching consequences of fueling food insecurity and poverty in Africa’s most populous country.
A problem he notes that Lihon Energy is currently trying to address through its solar-powered water pumps. “We’re not just providing a product—we’re offering farmers a path to sustainable growth, improved livelihoods, and agricultural resilience all year round.”
The young entrepreneur says solar-powered water pumps significantly lower operational costs for farmers by eliminating the need for diesel fuel, adding that with less money spent on energy, farmers can reinvest in their farms and grow more efficiently.
“Many farmers have started earning additional income by renting out their solar pumps to neighboring farms that don’t have access to irrigation,” he says.
“This peer-to-peer model is increasing productivity across entire communities, not just for individual farmers,” he explains.
Hakeem says making its solution affordable to smallholder farmers is at the heart of Lihon Energy. “We understand that most smallholder farmers in Nigeria operate with limited resources, so we’ve designed flexible models to make our systems accessible and affordable.”
“Through partnerships with cooperatives, NGOs, and financing institutions, we offer farmers installment payment plans, lease-to-own options, and even pay-as-you-go models—ensuring they can start using the pumps without bearing the full cost upfront.”
He says Lihon Energy plans to scale its solar-powered water pumps across key agricultural zones in Nigeria, particularly in underserved and climate-vulnerable communities in the short run.
Also, the business plans to establish a local manufacturing plant for solar-powered water pumps in the long run.
“This backward integration strategy will not only reduce costs and improve accessibility but also position us as a key supplier for the broader West African market—filling a critical gap, as no solar pump production currently exists within the continent.”
To support this, he says the business is already in active discussions with leading Chinese and Indian renewable energy firms to facilitate technology transfer and collaborate on solar irrigation innovations tailored for Africa.
Speaking on major challenges, he says an inadequate financing model for smallholder farmers and their skepticism remains a significant hurdle to the business.
“He notes that the high theft rate is another pressing issue for the industry, citing the increasing value of solar panels, batteries, and inverters as a major factor.
He further explains that the business addresses these challenges through a hands-on approach, providing farmers with support on the adequate use and maintenance of the panels.
He adds that solar water pumps are being provided to farmers on credit, accompanied by regular training on their use.
On the theft issue, he explains that farmers now dismantle their panels every evening and take them home. “Transporting the equipment back and forth daily is stressful and inconvenient, but for many, it’s the only way to protect their investment.”
In his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, Hakeem says they should be focused.
