GRTech
How Governor’s purchases encouraged 5 UNN students building solar energy inverters


Five students of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) have disclosed how they were encouraged to continue building solar energy inverters, in spite all odds.
With 75 planning applications; 39 trained professionals and two offices, Business Manager, Nwangele Godwin Chukwuemeka; Quality Control officer, Okereke Kingsley; Production officer, Esumeh Aaron; Field Operations officer, Udeh Isaac Nnaemeka and Product Logistics officer, Ogechukwu Uchechukwu Emmanuel, have already completed 38 projects.
The Students shared how Enugu State Governor, RT. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s patronage at recent Enugu International Trade Fair enabled them to have some resources to invest on the project locally developed.
Read their inspiring story as represented by Ogechukwu Uchechukwu Emmanuel.
How was the idea conceived?
It all started with some boys who had big dreams of making solar energy available for people to use at home since it is already in existence in overseas. We started looking for knowledge, ideas and how to make it come by. Thanks to Industrial training and Engineer Precious Chijioke. He blessed us with knowledge during our industrial training.
Five of us: three in Electrical Engineering class, one Electrical Electronics and one Geography Students; found a need for this project. Four of us are finals and one penultimate when we started.
How long did it take from ideation, R&D to real construction and sales?
It took us like seven months to complete the circle and have a finished product. Remember, we are students, so we are putting to test the knowledge we have gathered from classes and personal studies.
You guys must have conducted some research on electricity challenges in Nigeria, can you share with us some of the findings?
The truth is that energy is not cheap anywhere but one peculiar thing with Nigeria is that our people waste energy that they can’t even pay for. An example is, most poor homes use 200watts bulb everywhere while such energy consumption is equal to some fridges used by rich men. Also, the pressure on the national grid by home deprives the industries of this energy, so we thought if homes could key into green energy and leave out the noise and air polluting generators, the industries may gain little life. Another one is that some homes use our grid light to cook instead of using gas as the white men do. You can add yours too.
Where was the idea incubated?
It all started at social science quadrangle, in UNN. When we decided to do what the whites do and have a product no matter what stress and energy it will take.
When do you intend moving to mass production?
We have already started with 20 sets of 2.5kva and 1.5kva.
How much funding are you looking at?
We need about N100 million to flood the market with these products.
You said everything was developed in Nsukka, can you expatiate on that?
We designed our circuit board, more like the thing people call mother board, although we print it in China currently. We make our transformers ourselves here, get iron pan and bend it to our desired shape in Enugu. We then do other things ourselves except painting which we outsource.
How are you sourcing the raw material?
All the things we need are in the local market here. Although we now import resistors, inductors and micro processors via an agent in Ali express which makes them cheap.
What have been the greatest challenges?
At first, it was fund, next was people’s doubt on what we do. Now, it is expansion.
What can you guys take in exchange for this project?
We can take the project for itself. It is now our life.
What are the limitations of the products? Benefits too?
For now, we can boast of systems that are hybrid (uses both solar and disco grid) with in built automatic transfer switch, has load detection sensor as well as LCD for the user. It has a short-circuit detection mechanism inside for stubborn users like Nigerians with automatic shut down both in overload and short-circuit. For battery life extension, it has four stage charge modes with trickle charge effect. It is one of the best power machines anybody in Nigeria can use because we understand the Nigerian user more than any foreign company. With respect to the limitations, we believe that our designs are not as beautiful as we want it to be but we will soon get over that.
How affordable are the products compared to imported ones?
We have the competitive power here, because our product is very affordable compared to any foreign system of same specification. Our prices are approximately 40% less than any one in the market.
Have you received any grant?
No, but will be happy to get
Patented?
We have submitted documents for patency, but this is technology, only those with spiritual eyes can imitate it.
How did you raise the initial funding?
We started with N45,000 and were adding N5,000 each until we got things set. As I said early, it was like seven months. And then one day at a trade fair, Gov. Ugwuanyi Ifeanyi of Enugu state bought our product alongside Mr. John Busco. That was our first return. We reinvested all. And we kept saving and adding, hunger was on all our faces, but we kept smiling. One thing I must add, all our friends showed us love even when our first test system blew up. They still clapped for us.
What are the sizes and functionality?
Yes it is in sizes, from 1500 watts to 20,000 watts. You use it like other imported system. We have a manual too. It serves as a replacement for your generators and some decide to remove their disco grid entirely because it is reliable. You keep solar panels outside which traps sun rays as ultraviolet and sends it to your batteries as DC current. This DC is sapped by the inverter and sent out as AC for your home use.
Source: techeconomy.ng
GRTech
The Economics of Product Decisions: Applying Behavioural Economics and Game Theory in PM


Product managers often need to make a clear-cut decision: what should we build next? But the decisions which hold real importance go beyond adding features.
It’s about getting what makes people tick.
It goes way beyond what you would expect, getting into how people behave and using game theory.
These areas give insight into how users decide and how a product’s design can improve growth and keep people interested.
This is what Amarachi Nnochiri excels at. She is a senior product manager that knows how to use economics and psychology in her job.
She goes beyond simply managing product tasks; she develops whole product systems based on how users think, feel, and use a service. Her background shows how understanding human psychology and behaviour can give you a significant advantage in the competition.
One idea Amarachi uses is “loss aversion.” In this scenario, people feel worse about losing something than they feel good about gaining something of equal value.
She uses this when designing her products, mostly when it comes to pricing and getting people to try new strategies. For example, instead of giving a free trial, she might use a freemium setup where users get some stuff for free but could lose it if they don’t buy an upgrade. This pushes them to pay.
She might also use progress bars or streak counters, since losing progress gets people to keep using the product.
Amarachi also uses ideas from “game theory” to get how users act and change their behavior. She realizes that users are doing more than operating a product, but are playing a game with other users or with the product itself. She designs things that use ideas like “Nash equilibrium,” where nobody can do better by changing what they’re doing. For a social product, this could mean creating a system where doing something good for yourself (like inviting friends) also helps everyone else. This makes the whole thing stable and positive.
Her know-how in game theory also applies to making strong “network effects.” This means making stuff that gets better as more people use it.
A good example is a social network where each new user makes the product more helpful for everyone else. Amarachi endeavours to make things go viral on purpose, not just by luck.
She might use “commitment devices,” which are things that make a user stick with a behaviour by making them depend on it socially or functionally. For example, inviting team members to a tool makes the user stick with the platform and makes the product’s network stronger.
This way of thinking is better than just following the usual steps. By using these economic and psychological tricks, Amarachi develops competitive advantages which are difficult to replicate.
She knows that a company’s best thing is not just a simple interface, but a product that’s designed to sync with how people behave.
Her product choices aren’t just about the needs of users, but equally focus on motivating them to like the product, use it, and stick with it.
In her work, choosing a subscription price isn’t just a business thing; it’s about behaviour. Designing a social feed isn’t just about the content; it’s about balancing what people want and watching how they interact. Amarachi knows extensively about the economics of product decisions. This makes her products innovative and appealing to human behaviour, which leads to more use, keeps people around, and helps the product grow. She’s a leader in product management, where identifying customer desires is backed by understanding human motivation.


Technology Company, Globacom, has announced significant reductions in its International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates, making international calls more affordable for its existing and new customers across Nigeria.
Effective August 10, the new rates began applying to over 15 popular international destinations, including United States which will has moved to ₦30 per minute, down from ₦35, United Kingdom is now N350 from ₦400, while India also moved down to ₦40 from N45.
The rates for China, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon however recorded major reduction moving to N75, N300 and ₦700 respectively.
The reduction was also extended to African countries including Benin Republic which goes for ₦650 per minute, Niger Republic ₦750, Ghana ₦500, and Togo ₦650. United Arab Emirates also moved from ₦450 to ₦325, Germany to ₦550, Côte d’Ivoire ₦700, Libya ₦700, while calls to Malawi is now N1,100 from ₦1,200.
Glo aims to provide more value for its customers through these revised rates, encouraging them to make Glo their preferred network for international calls. New IDD bundles will also be introduced, offering frequent international callers even more attractive deals.
Globacom, which remained optimistic that frequent international callers will benefit immensely from the reductions in IDD bundles, enjoined customers to take advantage of the new rates to stay connected with friends and business associates across the globe.
GRTech
Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure – Enugu Governor
By Orji Israel, South East Correspondent


The Executive Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has attributed the financing of numerous infrastructure projects embarked by the state government to the oil subsidy removal policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He made this declaration at the Govermment House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of federal government led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of activities lined up for the 2-day Citizens’ Engagement Series in the South East geo-political zone.
“For us in Enugu, we are able to accomplish all we promised our people during the campaign, thanks to the bold decision taken by President Bola Tinubu, which has freed up resources needed to execute humongous capital projects,” said Governor, while listing ongoing projects in the state, which include the construction of 7,000 classrooms, 3,300 hospital beds and 2,000-hectare of 260 farm estates across the 260 wards of the state.
Governor Mbah also pledged more support for the policies of the federal government, saying they are in the best interest of the people of the state.
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