ERWAP project

The use of wood, charcoal and kerosene for cooking has become a direct threat to human survival in Nigeria and on the African continent. There are some drugs that may cure these diseases; but there is no certain preventative.
What if we  were to shift our focus from drugs and vaccines to cure the health issues caused by the smoke from cooking and tackle the root cause of many of the existing health menaces in Nigeria … extreme air pollution?
At ERWAP, through our clean energy kits, we hope to reduce air pollution mortality rates in Nigeria via removal of the smoke that is produced by present methods of cooking foods for many, especially the under privileged, Nigerians … via our climate change awareness and adaptation program; and community seminars.

The specific problem we are addressing is the air pollution produced from cooking with the  open fire method using traditional wood and charcoal stoves.
Hundred of thousands of Nigerians, mainly women and children, die every year via the smoke from the usage of dirty cook stoves and fuels. Despite the huge wealth in energy resources, the majority of the Nigerian population are both economically and energy poor.
Eighty seven percent of Nigerian households have no access to quality cooking fuels … I.e., electricity and natural gas. This situation  has  compelled  families to depend fully on inferior, health-damaging traditional cooking methods, using open-fire cooking with firewood, charcoal or kerosene.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports Nigeria is amongst the top ten African countries with a total of two and a half million deaths per year attributable to air pollution from Cooking.
With no alternative available (I.e., gasifier  stoves and biofuel pellets) families must either buy expensive charcoal and kerosene; or trek for miles in search of sparse  firewood. The overdependence on felling trees for energy has earned Nigeria a ranking as one of the countries with highest rates of deforestation in the world.

Our solution is via : Erwap clean energy kit & climate change awareness program 
The Erwap clean energy kits comprises “power Biomass Stoves”, fuel pellets.
Our biomass Stove has an inbuilt combustion system and a fan draft that enables cooking to be safe and smokeless. The stove uses the gasification technology enabling creation of gas from dry biomass pellets. A very simple, inexpensive, pollution free technology which is portable and does not require exhaust piping or special burner-heads. The stove is unique in that it prevents the emission and inhalation of health endangering carbon exhausts.
The fuel pellets are produced from presently underutilized bio-waste resources through the use of compressing and drying technology that turns bio-waste into a low moisture fuel making it easy to be burn and smokeless.
Via our Climate change Awareness Program/Seminars we let people know the negative health implications of cooking with wood or charcoal. Ignorance of the pollution created from cooking with fossil fuels has contributed to the air pollution crisis in this country … burning  of wood and charcoal within neighborhood across communities in Nigeria continues unabated.

Our initial target market is comprised of over two million households in rural and underserved areas of Oyo state, Nigeria. As we grow, by year-2, we intend to target via our program over fifteen million households in South West Nigeria; and later spread our solution/program nationwide.
So far over one hundred people have benefited from the ERWAP pilot project including old people, children and women. The beneficiaries are roughly seventy five percent of the farming population in Efunlete community, Oyo City, Oyo State. This community was engaged in our program through a direct, personal training program; and the recruitment of women within the community who now sell ERWAP kits to families within their communities.
This program has allowed ERWAP to establish a “Sales and Distribution Network/Cooperative” in our initiallly targeted area.
The households where the ERWAP Clean Energy Kits were tested reported no smoke from cooking and no black carbon stain on pots … cooking with our solution is affordable and also saves time when compare to other cooking alternatives.
We have proven that the ERWAP Clean Energy Kit satisfies a basic, life-saving household energy need for the underserved/vulnerable low income households of Nigeria.

The ERWAP business solution is well aligned to any potential business challenge because, aside from being a first-mover in our targeted market, our ERWAP kits have shown to prevent and reduce disease spread by preventing and reducing air pollution mortality rates from the burning of fossil fuels; and our products are appropriately priced to be accepted in our target market. 
Via our “Test Program” we have proven the viability of our program in our products and program. The challenge before us is the financial ability to expand our program within Oyo state, Southwest Nigeria and then nationwide.

In Nigeria there is presently no direct competitor for our products or services.
Our present competitors lie within the firewood “three-stones” traditional cooking method, charcoal stoves and  kerosene stoves market segments.
In the past there has been a few, unsuccessful, programs targeted and launched at solving this issue; but, those programs have either lacked a properly implemented population awareness/acceptance program or an affordable solution for the average Nigerian consumer. Former programs could not be accessed by the people who need them the most ... the lower economic class. 
Our test program has proven that we have already leaped that hurdle.

Gasification is the process of converting organic or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures (>700 °C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas (from synthesis gas) or producer gas and is itself a fuel. The power derived from gasification and combustion of the resultant gas is considered to be a source of renewable energy if the gasified compounds were obtained from biomass.
Stoves that use gasifier technology are currently the cleanest burning option to burn solid biomass in a cook stove. The “gas burner” provides the convenience and efficiency similar to cooking on fossil gas with very little soot and other emissions.  A gasifier stove  works by converting solid biomass fuel pellets into gases and vapors. The gas/vapor is then guided into the gas burner where combustion takes place with a supply of oxygen from a secondary air inlet.

The fuel pellet use a compressing and pelletizing technology to  turn bio-waste resources into a low moisture fuel making it easy to be burn and smokeless when combined with the stove.

The gasification technology has been in use several years now; not only as power for cooking stoves, but for power in electric generation/generators. It is a solid, proven safe power source.

ERWP Theory Of Change Model                         
ACTIVITY:
Community Sensitization Program               
Via a sensitization program titled “Save Your Environment”.
ERWAP planet life support program begins within the local communities with planned expansion throughout Nigeria. Via the sensitization program and ERWAP seminars “power biomass stove” and bio-fuel pellet energy kits are introduced to communities heads, chieftains to get their support within their communities. Seminars are then held to introduce ERWAP,power biomass stoves,bio-fuel pellets and stove operation to families within the community.
Compared to solid fuel (wood and charcoal) burning stoves, the power biomass stove uses gasification technology and have certain advantages: Cleaner burning via biomass fuel pellets (considerable reduction of soot, black carbon and indoor/outdoor air pollution). The stoves are efficient due to more complete combustion (less total biomass consumption).
PROGRAM OUTPUT: 
Communities - targeting mainly households, children, women and older individuals - gain awareness on the detrimental effects of cooking with wood, charcoal and kerosene. They are made to understand the effects of their cooking actions on the changing climate, deforestation and family health. They are introduced to a new, more economical and safer way of cooking with bio-fuel pelletsv via the Erwap kits. Then test the power biomass stove and became sold on the concept.
The ERWAP women network will be formed to both sell stoves and pellets and spread the word to neighboring communities.

SHORT TERM OUTCOME: 
Job creation for the unemployed and the underemployed and cheaper cooking cost … women can  now cook with ease, cheaper and without smoke filling their family’s lungs.

LONG TERM OUTCOME: Positive effect on the air pollution reduction, deforestation and air bone disease presently caused by smoke inhalation from present cooking with charcoal, wood or kerosene.

Via our initial “market test program” the number of people we are serving now is over one hundred fifty. We are presently under cash constraints that inhibit accelerated expansion/growth.
When our project is fully implemented, we target reaching more than one hundred thousand households by Year-2; and potentially millions of households by Year-5 of operations. 

Our goals are :

To keep ERWAP sales pipe line full by drawing traffic to our seminars and stores; and converting a minimum of 70 percent of these visitors into customers.

Wide acceptance of our products and services in the majority of Nigerian households is one key metric we aim at achieving before December 2025

To build a strong team who are passionate about the development and success of  ERWAP. Also empowering a minimum ten thousand women through our clean cook “Stovepreneur” network by 2025 is a key metric we are targeting

A primary ERWAP objective is to be  recognized worldwide as the “Nigerian Clean Energy Star”; earning our brand carbon credit finance from the world Bank by 2023

The high level of illiteracy among the rural households is certainly a major challenge to overcome. ERWAP seminaries are targeted at enlightening and educating as many Nigerians as possible regarding the use of safe, environmentally friendly power biomass stoves and biofuel pellets.

Access to funding support is also a major challenge. Support from a solid financial partner is critical to the success of the ERWAP project.

Stove and pellet pricing must be at a price that is affordable to low-income Nigerians. Present pricing may not be affordable to that bracket of society; and we are looking at producing high quality stoves and biofuel pellets locally … creating jobs, making use of environmental waste and reducing the price of the stove to make it affordable for everyone. The raining season here could become a threat/challenge, as much of biomass raw material (environmental waste) may become very wet, creating biomass pellets challenges

Biomass fuel pellet challenges during rainy season can be solved with a mechanical dryer which would enable us to  reduce the moisture content of the raw material accordingly ... mitigating the seasonal production threat

To address the pricing challenge ERWAP will offer a “lease to own a ERWAP power biomass stove” financing option. Customers can then buy a stove and initial supply of fuel pellets by depositing a percentage of the stove cost; and completing payment for the stove and pellets over a period of two to six months.

We look forward to breaking the funding barrier through grants.

ERWAP seminars are designed as an educational session on environmental safety and stove operations. The seminars will be targeted to reach people at a lower level of education via participative exercises and presentations.

Right now, ERWAP uses a “part-time” labor force structure. We presently have six part-time employees and myself on staff.

Contracts consist of two groups that provide stoves and fuel pellets.

Initial Staffing:

Subsequent to the full laubch if ERWAP initial staffing at the production site will consist of:

Managing Director

Operations Supervisor

Receptionist/Customer Service Representative (1)

Casual Staff:

Security (4)

Driver (2)

Cleaner (1)

Pellet Baggers (4) 

The above are initial staff projections; and additional staff will be required and added as business expands.

Rashidat A. Bamgbose holds a NCE in Business Education and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Alhikmah University, Ilorin. She completed her Masters Degree in Energy Economics at the University of Ibadan.

She is a Tony Elumelu Fellow; and Managing Partner and Country Representative to Stones hub Africa ltd  …  a precious Stones development and marketing company. Rashidat is a member Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN) and Nigeria Association of Energy Economics (NAEE).

ERWAP Energy is a project Ms. Bamgbose launched to tackle air pollution caused mortality rates in Nigeria. ERWAP targets connecting rural women and children to a clean, safe, reliable and less costly source of energy for cooking.

Rashidat is  an  entrepreneur on an empowering mission while working to break the cycle of  energy poverty amongst poor households  in Africa.

James Miller

James Miller an experienced and articulate Business Executive with more than three decades of upper-level senior management experience; including more than two decades of business experience in Africa (Nigeria, more than eighteen years).

His extensive career has allowed him to develop a very diverse business background, including senior management experience in the following business sectors:

• Manufacturing, Managing Director
• Business Adaptation/Change/Project Management
• Senior Consultant
• Information Technology Education
• Real Estate Development
• Voice/Data Communications
• Computer Engineering
• Information Technology Service and Support
• Distribution and Logistics
• Voice/Data Communications

His education includes: B.Sc. Math; B.Sc. Computer Science; and MBA focused on Operations and Financial Management.

Oyo state ministry of environment

Oyo state ministry of health

Cinzia International limited(http://www.cinziainternational...)

Made technology, Ibadan

We partnered with Cinzia International to access bio waste resources; and Oyo State Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment to raise  public awareness about health risks related to air pollution.

Partnerships developed with Efunlete  and Imini community heads was put in place to raise community awareness to air pollution mortality: and to form local groups deepening the reach of the ERWAP Clean Energy Kits.

The partnership with Made Technology, Ibadan is for power biomass stove development.

Market Analysis 

The market analysis is quite simple … when the population is made properly aware of the advantages of power biomass stoves, especially the ease of use and cost savings, they will buy. No competition exists, other than the existing, inefficient and expensive methods of cooking with charcoal, wood or natural gas.

 Needs

The Nigerian populace is not yet fully aware; but there is a definite need for safe, cheap and efficient method of cooking, especially in the rural and peri-urban areas of Nigeria.

Market Opportunity

The potential growth rate of the power market in Nigeria is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 12.39% during the forecast period of 2019 – 2024. Erwap Energy is targeting 2% of total Market share.

 Growth

Operations expansion will target Oyo state in the first two years of operation. Market growth to other areas of Nigeria will be driven by our website and the demonstrated demand in those areas; followed by the establishment of a solid Distributor Network and regional offices in those areas.

model

Beginning with product market launch in Ibadan, Oyo state, we will initially focus on urban and city centre households and local restaurants (bukkas as they are called locally); and distribute to rural customers/households at a reduced price (in some cases free during product launch).while in some cases we would offer financing option for low income  customers to deposit some little  percentage of the initial amount to acquire the stove while they complete payment within 2- 6months.

Through the  sales of the ERWAP Energy Kits we will generate revenue.

We plan to get our major sources of finance from grants (70%) and equity (30%). The grants will be used to upscale our business to a competitive level while the equity would be used for further scaling of the business across Nigeria

The seasonal and the access to funding support threats will be solved if we are selected as a solver.

We hope to leverage on the grant to properly implement  our business model; and provide access to a robust network of mentors and entrepreneurs in order to both learn from and share experience on best practices within our business ecosystem. With the exposure from being an awardee of the “Solve Program” we hope to get the added Publicity that would enhance business partnerships and the closing of deals with targeted clients and additional business partners

We hope to get the needed exposure in terms of publicity which will enhance our partnership and closing of deals with targeted clients and partners to achieve our goals via the exposure from your broad business network

We are open to partnership with any person group or business that shares our vision of bettering the lives of impoverished people, creating jobs and providing profits for ourselves, our investors and  our business partners.

Indoor Air pollution from Cooking and lightening in Nigeria has greatly led to diseases ; lung cancer , pneumonia affecting young children.It has also greatly contributed to the  loss of lives of millions and thousands of people in the Country.
We have a unique offering since no one in the Nigerian energy industry has been able to come up with a solution which is affordable and targeted at the vulnerable and the undeserved  Nigerian  households that prevent indoor air pollution .

Based on our proven record and a proven technology that works we hope to use the power of this technology to reduce air pollution mortality rates in Nigeria,  we hope to be selected for this prize ,we hope to make you  proud of our achievements in few years to come.

If selected, we will use the elevate prize  for health security to scale our business across Oyo State and other south western states in Nigeria,with the prize many women and children in the undeserved communities of  Nigeria will be able to access a clean and affordable energy enabling them to cook conveniently without the threat of inhaling dangerous toxic emissions from open fire cooking method using traditional wood and charcoal cook stoves,The prize will enable us to be able to prevent air pollution mortality rates among women and children in low income communities. with the prize we will be able to distribute over 10,000 clean cooking solutions to vulnerable and undeserved people in communities of Nigeria.

indoor Air pollution from Cooking and lightening in Nigeria has greatly led to diseases ; lung cancer , pneumonia affecting young children.It has also greatly contributed to the  loss of lives of millions and thousands of people in the Country.
Although There have  been a few programs targeted at solving this issue; but so far they have either lacked a properly implemented population awareness/acceptance program or the solution is too expensive for the average Nigerian consumer to afford. Former programs could not be accessed by the people who need them the most ... the lower economic class
We have a unique offering since no one in the Nigerian energy industry has been able to come up with a solution which is affordable and targeted at the vulnerable and the undeserved  Nigerian  households that prevent indoor air pollution .

Based on our proven record and a proven technology that works we hope to use the power of this technology to reduce air pollution mortality rates in Nigeria,  we hope to be selected for this prize ,we hope to make you  proud of our achievements in few years to come.

if selected for this prize,we will use the future planet capital prize to scale our business across Oyo State and other south western states in Nigeria,with the prize many women and children in the undeserved communities of  Nigeria will be able to access a clean and affordable energy enabling them to cook conveniently without the threat of inhaling dangerous toxic emissions from open fire cooking method using traditional wood and charcoal cook stoves,The prize will enable us to be able to prevent  air pollution mortality rates among women and children in low income communities. with the prize we will be able to distribute over 8,000 clean cooking solutions to vulnerable and undeserved people in communities of Nigeria.