Our entrepreneurship journey, by Vanpeux co-founder

In 2011, the two former bankers— Ovoke Ekrebe and Peter Ejimudo—set up Vanpeux Global Synergy at Kalejaiye Street, Shomolu in Lagos, as a general technology outfit.

One and a half later, these entrepreneurs lost every penny they invested in the business. This was a painful experience but part of the learning curve.

“We were like living beings that died and resurrected. We lost all we had and started afresh,” Ovoke Ekrebe, co-founder of Vanpeux, tells Start-Up Digest.

“It is true when they say that small businesses fail in the first one or two years. We have done our failing and have resurrected, never to fail again,” Ovoke says confidently.

Four to five years after, this firm is now providing renewable energy services to a number of establishments in the country. Apart from serving numerous customers, Vanpeux has become one of the 45 renewable energy firms certified to do solar business in Nigeria by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), American and German development agencies respectively.

The firm is powering more than 1,500 homes and 45 businesses through solar energy.

“We are among the 45 recommended to undertake renewable energy all over the world. That means we have passed capacity tests and have the ability to take up renewable energy projects from start to finish. Our customers should be very proud to know that reputable international organisations have recognised our work. They can have confidence that we are providing reliable renewable energy solutions,” Ovoke says.

“It is a fantastic seal of performance. There are so many businesses in Lagos. There are over 1,500 renewable energy firms in Lagos alone that claims to proffer renewable energy solutions. There was a project that USAID ran which was a renewable energy efficiency programme that supported private companies. At the end of their programme, they did some form of audit in Nigeria and found 45 worthy,” he adds.

Odinaka Anudu