Approach

1. Market Research & Problem Identification

Before developing the solution, we conducted extensive research to understand the core challenges in Nigeria’s power and agriculture sectors.

• Power Sector Findings:

  • Frequent power outages (8+ hours daily in urban areas).

  • 47% of rural households had no access to electricity.

  • Small businesses and industries lost an average of $10,000 per month due to power failures.

  • High costs of solar solutions prevented mass adoption.

  • No centralized platform to monitor energy usage and purchase power efficiently.

  
  

• Agriculture Sector Findings:

  • 72% of smallholder farmers relied on traditional farming methods.

  • 78% reported post-harvest losses due to poor storage and power issues.

  • 60% of farmers lacked access to financial services for modern equipment.

  • Climate change made farming unpredictable due to erratic weather.

We analyzed these insights and defined the product strategy to solve these challenges.

2. Defining the Product Vision & Strategy

Based on our research, we aimed to:

• Develop a mobile app & website for seamless purchase & management of power solutions.

• Integrate smart monitoring tools for real-time tracking of power usage.

• Create an e-commerce feature to sell solar panels, batteries, and farm equipment.

• Enhance financial accessibility by integrating flexible payment plans.

• Provide digital literacy training for farmers and rural users.

These objectives guided our product roadmap and feature prioritization.

3. Product Development & Design

A. Defining Core Features

We structured the mobile app & website around the following:

For Wenigro Power:

• Smart Inverter Monitoring: Users could track power consumption and inverter status in real time.

• Power Purchase Platform: Allowed users to buy electricity from third-party providers (e.g., IKEDC, PHED).

• Energy Usage Alerts: Notified users when consumption was too high to optimize power efficiency.

• Payment & Financing: Integrated secure payments and financing options for solar panel purchases.

  
  

For Wenigro Agriculture:

• E-commerce Platform: Provided easy access to modern farming equipment & technology.

• Weather & Climate Alerts: Informed farmers about weather patterns to aid decision-making.

• Training Modules: Educated users on smart farming techniques via in-app content.

• Financial Access: Connected farmers with loans & grants for agricultural investments.

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B. UX/UI Design & Prototyping

To ensure a seamless experience, we:

• Conducted user interviews to understand preferences & pain points.

• Created wireframes & prototypes for both the website and mobile app.

• Designed an intuitive UI with clear navigation & accessibility in mind.

Once the design was finalized, we moved to MVP development.

4. Development & Engineering Execution

A. Tech Stack Selection

• Frontend: React Native (mobile app), React.js (web app).

• Backend: Node.js & Firebase for real-time data processing.

• Payments: Paystack & Flutterwave for secure energy purchases & financing.

• Data & Analytics: Google Cloud for tracking user behavior & energy consumption trends.

B. Agile Development Process

• Sprint 1: Built-core inverter monitoring & power purchase features.

• Sprint 2: Developed e-commerce functionality for agriculture products.

• Sprint 3: Integrated smart grid monitoring for energy efficiency insights.

• Sprint 4: Launched beta testing and gathered user feedback.

We followed continuous integration & deployment to ensure a bug-free experience.

5. Testing & User Feedback

A. Beta Testing

We ran a closed beta with 100+ users:

• 50 power users (homeowners & businesses).

• 30 farmers are testing smart agriculture features.

• 20 energy providers & installers for real-world deployment.

Key feedback:
✅ 90% found inverter monitoring useful in tracking power consumption.
✅ 60% of farmers preferred the e-commerce model over physical marketplaces.
✅ 70% of users wanted financing options for solar products.

B. Improvements Based on Feedback

• Optimized app speed & UI flow based on usability issues.

• Expanded financing options for lower-income users.

• Added an offline mode for farmers with limited internet access.

6. Launch & Scaling

A. Initial Rollout

• Launched the mobile app & website with core features.

• Partnered with local power companies for electricity sales integration.

• Activated 100+ farmers on the agricultural marketplace.

B. Marketing & User Adoption

• Social media campaigns to drive awareness.

• Referral Program to increase organic adoption.

• In-person farmer training to encourage smart technology adoption.

Final Thoughts on Approach

Through data-driven decision-making, user research, and agile execution, we successfully developed a digital ecosystem for energy & agriculture in Nigeria. The mobile app & website continue to empower users with affordable, sustainable solutions, bridging the gap in power access & agricultural efficiency.