Africa's Path to Clean Mobility -- Driven by Motorcycles | Adetayo Bamiduro | TED

TL;DR

A startup in Africa is providing electric motorcycles and support services to informal motorcycle taxi drivers, helping them increase their income and reduce emissions.

Transcript

I join you from Lagos, Nigeria, one of the largest cities in Africa. By 2050, Lagos will outgrow many of the largest cities of the world, including New York and Mexico City, and will be home to over 32 million people. By that same date, Nigeria will be home to more people than the United States. But there is a problem. Lagos and other African megac... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏙️ Lagos, Nigeria will surpass major cities like New York and Mexico City in population by 2050, becoming one of the largest cities in the world.
• 🛣️ African megacities like Lagos face challenges such as limited road infrastructure, pollution, congestion, and poor safety conditions, particularly in low-income communities.
• 🛵 African motorcycle taxi drivers play a crucial role in overcoming transportation challenges by ferrying people and goods, but they are excluded from the formal economy and often rely on dated, polluting vehicles rented from loan sharks.
• 🌍 Without intervention, two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Africa will generate an estimated 1.7 gigatonnes of emissions annually, equivalent to pollution from two million Boeing 737 planes every year.
• 🔌 The founders of a platform in Africa seek to address the need for clean mobility by providing motorcycle taxi drivers with electric vehicles, battery swaps, and maintenance, along with emergency assistance.
• 💡 This integrated approach to electric mobility aims to support vulnerable, informal, and unbanked individuals while funding R&D and technology through partnerships with foundations, nonprofits, and investors.
• 💼 An example driver, Baba Gbenro, was able to increase his income from $3 to $6 per day by signing up for the platform, allowing him to transport people, meet obligations, and support his family.
• 🌍 The platform has already served a network of over 15,000 drivers, potentially impacting over 75,000 livelihoods. The goal is to provide electric mobility solutions to over 150,000 drivers by 2025 and impact over 10 million motorcycle taxi drivers in Africa.

Questions & Answers

Q: How are African motorcycle taxi drivers currently affected by limited road infrastructure?

African motorcycle taxi drivers face challenges like congestion, poor safety conditions, and pollution due to limited road infrastructure in cities like Lagos.

Q: What is the three-part solution provided by the startup to support African motorcycle taxi drivers?

The solution includes access to electric vehicles, battery swaps, and maintenance services, as well as emergency assistance for drivers.

Q: What is the environmental impact of two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Africa if no action is taken?

If no action is taken, pollution from two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Africa is estimated to reach 1.7 gigatonnes of emissions per year, equivalent to pollution from two million Boeing 737 airplanes annually.

Q: How does signing up on the platform benefit drivers like Baba Gbenro?

Baba Gbenro, a smallholder farmer, increased his net income from $3 to $6 per day after signing up on the platform, gaining access to an electric motorcycle and a fully charged battery on a daily basis.

Q: How many drivers has the platform served to date, and what is the goal for 2025?

The platform has served a network of over 15,000 drivers, and the goal for 2025 is to provide electric mobility solutions to over 150,000 drivers.

Q: What is the potential impact of electric mobility innovators and climate entrepreneurs in Africa?

If successful, electric mobility innovators and climate entrepreneurs in Africa could jointly impact over 10 million motorcycle taxi drivers, creating jobs and reducing emissions in the continent.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Lagos and other African megacities face challenges like limited road infrastructure, pollution, congestion, and poor safety conditions.

• African motorcycle taxi drivers, excluded from the formal economy, use old gas engines rented from exploitative loan sharks.

• A startup is offering electric motorcycles, battery swaps, and maintenance services to drivers, helping them improve their income and reduce emissions.