Schneider Electric, a global powerhouse in energy management and automation, together with the international non-profit Enactus, has crowned the champions of its 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge. The initiative, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation, spotlighted the brightest young minds from universities across Africa, with Nigeria's Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University emerging as a national winner.
African Universities Shine in Sustainable Energy Contest
Now in its second year, the competition attracted strong participation from the continent's academic institutions. The challenge was originally conceived by a Schneider Electric engineer based in South Africa, aiming to empower students to design battery solutions for Africa's most critical energy issues. It is a key component of the Foundation's New Skills for the Future and Innovation programme.
The national winners for 2025 are:
- Nigeria: The Energiv project from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University.
- South Africa: The BioWatt team from WITS University.
- Kenya: The Afya Cell project from Strathmore University.
- Zimbabwe: The LithiumX project from the University of Zimbabwe.
Letitia de Wet, CEO and Country Director of Enactus South Africa, praised the creativity and determination shown by the young innovators from English-speaking Africa. "This year's entrants were all winners in their own right, and we wish them every success in advancing their innovations," she stated, underscoring the significant impact of student-led sustainable energy projects.
From Classroom Concepts to Real-World Impact
Elihle Obi, Marketing Communications and Corporate Citizenship Director for English-speaking Africa at Schneider Electric, noted that the winning projects stood out for their technical ingenuity, relevance to local communities, and strong potential for scaling. All winners received Euro cash prizes from the Schneider Electric Foundation to further their work.
"The Battery Innovation Challenge is proof that with the right support, students in our region can create scalable, sustainable solutions that accelerate today and tomorrow's energy transition. We are proud to form part of this truly life changing initiative," Obi remarked.
The programme's effectiveness is clearly demonstrated by the success of past winners. A standout example is South Africa's Airnergy & Tech Solutions, a third-place team from 2024. They have successfully commercialised their ElectroBoost300, a 300W portable power station that now provides reliable lithium power for homes, students, and small businesses.
"Schneider Electric believed in us. Their support and funding helped Airnergy & Tech build a viable product, and that gave our team the confidence to keep pushing forward with sustainable energy innovation," said Neo Moabi of Airnergy & Tech Solutions.
Last Year's Winners Continue to Scale and Inspire
The organisers also highlighted the ongoing progress of the 2024 winners, who have used their prize money to develop commercially viable and socially impactful solutions.
In Nigeria, the project originally known as Repo has evolved into Ecovolt, a scalable clean energy solution created from recycled e-waste. Ecovolt now powers household appliances and small businesses, has created 20 youth jobs, sold 40 units, and has a further 55 units on order.
In Zimbabwe, the second-place team from Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) transformed their CaLIX project into VoltStep. This micro-battery module stores low-voltage energy from piezoelectric sensors. In its first year, VoltStep achieved remarkable results:
- Sold 8,070 pairs of shoes, generating USD 104,910 in revenue.
- Provided lighting for 892 rural students.
- Produced over 900 kWh of renewable kinetic energy.
- Reduced household lighting costs by up to 65 per cent.
The project's success earned them second place in the prestigious 2025 Enactus World Cup.
Meanwhile, Kenya's 2024 winning team, Afterlife, which focuses on repurposing worn-out batteries, has become a registered company. They also won the Power the Community 2025 International Design Competition and joined the Emerging Circular Leaders programme, sparking national dialogue on circular economy innovation.
The 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge solidifies the critical role of academia and corporate partnership in driving Africa's sustainable energy future, with Nigerian innovation firmly on the map.
