Multinational oil and gas company Shell has unveiled Africa's first human- and solar-powered football pitch at the Federal College of Education, in Akoka, Lagos.
The football pitch, which formed part of Shell's #makethefuture programme, was refurbished by Shell using more than 90 underground tiles, invented by British entrepreneur and founder of Pavegen Laurence Kemball-Cook.
The tiles captured kinetic energy created by the movement of the players, which was then stored and combined with power generated by solar panels to operate floodlights. This allowed students to play at night and provided a safer and more secure space.
"Shell makes a significant contribution to energy solutions for Nigeria and we are committed to supporting the Nigerian economy and its people. We need bright energy ideas. Some of these will come from Shell but naturally, others will come from outside our business.
“So it's crucial that Shell supports energy entrepreneurs and we hope this pitch will inspire more entrepreneurs and young people to help us make a smarter energy future,” Shell Nigeria country chair and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria MD Osagie Okunbor said.