Damilare Akintokun lives in the Ogba area of Lagos State. He is certain that the smoke emitted from the generator located just outside his house is affecting the air he breathes, but he relies on this source of energy to run his home and frozen-food business.

‘If solar energy were affordable for all, with good electricity supply, most Lagosians would not be dependent on generators for their power,’ he says. ‘The truth is generators are not convenient at all; the noise and the fumes can be unbearable. But we need light, so we have to cope with the situation.’