Meet Tonye Irims, the CEO Who Rejected $1.5M to Protect the Climate

The rapidly expanding cities across the African continent continue to face unreliable electricity supplies, while vast rural regions remain without power altogether.

According to a report released by the International Energy Agency in 2022, approximately 43% of the continent’s population — equating to around 600 million people — lack access to electricity, with 590 million of these individuals residing in sub-Saharan Africa. But one man’s passion to light up Africa is changing the narrative with solar power.

Tonye Irims’ passion for accessible electricity in Africa – and do it the right way – through climate technology, is evident in the operations and products at WiSolar, a company he founded in 2016 to offer an alternative form of electricity through accessible and affordable solar power.

Passion is a strong factor in creating change, and it has been identified as the catalyst behind many of the great inventions we have witnessed across the globe. It was this same passion that led to Mr Irims turning down a $1.5M investment offer to WiSolar from the IDC South Africa.

Yes, the company needed the money and investors to partner for scale, but Mr Irims rejected the investment offer on the grounds of taking a stand against non-impact climate funding.

As the renowned American investor, business woman, syndicated columnist and television personality, Barbara Corcoran, rightly put it – “You can’t fake passion.” The passion of Irims to make solar electricity as affordable and accessible as groceries and Wi-fi is evident in his company’s drive and innovation.

At the heart of WiSolar’s business model canvas is the desire to provide an alternative to electricity that is not only sustainable and climate friendly but is also affordable and accessible to the general public.

Today, he is recognised as the inventor of the prepaid solar electricity service for variable loads. This digital innovation launched in 2022 allows users to purchase affordable solar electricity per kWh, tailored for larger households and commercial users, through a mobile app.

A product of a humble beginning

Tonye Irims was born Tonye Irimagha on December 02, 1970, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The first of six children – all boys, he was born to his late father, Captain Benjamin Tamunotonye Irimagha, who worked as a master mariner for the Nigerian Navy before going into the private sector, and his late mother, Mrs Muriel Irimagha (Ama-Opuorubo), who was a businesswoman from the Royal Bonny Kingdom descent.

It is safe to say that Irims had the privilege of growing up in a middle-class family which could afford to give him a quality education. He is a Marketing graduate from the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. And studied Clean Power from Imperial College London.

The long yards

However, despite what the picture may seem, Irims is a product of hard work and did not get to the position he currently occupies today because he got a life there on the shoulders of influence – no sir, he didn’t.

He worked in South Africa as a night bar man in a motel in Berea, Johannesburg, in 1994, before getting a job in line with his marketing degree when he went to work for a homeware company with a chain of outlets across South Africa.

In no time, his passion and commitment to work paid off and he was noticed by the management of the company. He would be posted to become a branch manager in the company, and in one of his interviews recalled being given a pager as an incentive. A pager in the nineties was arguably the biggest mobile tech around and this gesture proved how much his hard work was appreciated by the company, for hitting good sales figures and showing good managerial qualities in his capacity.

Soon, he was in charge of monitoring different branches across the country, and the nationwide trips provided him with ample experience with the South African people and markets – which opened his eyes to the vast possibilities and opportunities in the country.

When he had an opportunity to land a volunteering position with Nigerian billionaire Dr Mike Adenuga, he took the leap to start his first business – WiMobile, before going on to launch WiSolar in 2016.

Irims and the passion for clean energy

His company, WiSolar operates as a multi-faceted business, offering both licence subscriptions and hardware sales. Their continuous innovation has positioned the company as a frontrunner in the residential solar sector, earning them a reputation as leaders in the residential solar industry in South Africa.

For Irims, the journey has not been beds and roses all the way, but his passion has been the major driving force. “Being an entrepreneur takes one to very difficult and dark places.

Irims has been widely recognised for pioneering residential solar electricity packages and financing in South Africa, as well as for his groundbreaking work in introducing prepaid solar utilities for affordable housing across Africa

Future growth

WiSolar is currently serving customers in South Africa and Nigeria, and has plans of scaling its business operations into Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Zambia.