NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, December 20, 2019

By Nellie Peyton

Growing up in Chad’s capital N’Djamena, Youssouf Ali Mbodou would take his books into the streets at night to study during power cuts which were frequent and lasted for weeks.

Now 30, he is the founder of a solar power start-up called Kouran Jabo, meaning power is back and what people would shout when the electricity returned, said Mbodou, sitting in a sparse office in N’Djamena. As he spoke, the power was out.

In Chad, one of the least-developed countries in the world, people are starting to look toward start-ups to create jobs and provide services such as electricity and waste management, which most of the 16 million population lives without.

Photo courtesy of Adam Rozanas.