A determined Nigerian man named Oyekunle Micheal has finally fulfilled his goal of building a generator that does not use fuel after 15 failed attempts.

Oyekunle, who is a computer Science graduate from Interlink Polytechnic, Nigeria’s exceptional innovation earned him a 5000 dollar grant from the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Grant for young Africans seeks to empower women and men across the African continent with $5000 each, catalyzing economic growth, driving poverty eradication, and ensuring job creation.

Oyekunle’s journey began as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 when he moved to Ibadan, Nigeria, to live with his uncle after his parents separated. Life in the remote area was difficult, with constant power outages making even simple tasks like reading at night a struggle.

“Do you know the pain of trying to read at night without electricity? We relied on lanterns, and it was a huge challenge. You couldn’t even watch TV because there was no power,” he recalled.

The frustration and challenges he faced made him thought of innovative ways i.e building a generator that does not require fuel to improve his life and impact his community.

Oyekunle first shared his idea with his physics teacher, who encouraged him, saying it was possible. But with little financial support, making it a reality was tough. Determined, he saved money from small jobs to finance his studies in computer science and fund his project.

The project took 15 failed attempts and over ₦250,000 before he finally succeeded in building a prototype in 2022.

Oyekunle’s fuelless generator, built using scrap metals, could power home appliances like TVs, fans, and bulbs—just like traditional fuel-powered generators. Despite his breakthrough, funding remained a major challenge.

He applied for the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) grant but was rejected in 2021. Not giving up, he applied again and, in 2023, finally won the non-refundable $5,000 (over ₦7 million) seed grant.

‘Honestly, I never thought I would be selected, my major aim and target is to undergo intensive Business Management Training because my first attempt was in the year I think 2021, was not selected then,” he said.

He expressed deep gratitude to Tony Elumelu, one of Africa’s leading investors and philanthropists, and the foundation for recognizing his work.

Now the CEO of Mailko Technology Limited, Oyekunle is focused on making his eco-friendly generator affordable for low-income households.  He said his ultimate goal is to have mass production so that every home and office can have access to stable electricity without relying on expensive fuel.

”Our goal is to ensure that every individual, home, office, regardless of income level, has access to our reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions,” he said.