Abdul Karim Musa

Nigerian inventor of the SolarWheel, a portable solar energy system powering rural clinics across West Africa.

Abdul Karim Musa transformed healthcare access in Nigeria’s rural regions through his SolarWheel invention - a wheel-shaped solar generator that provides 24/7 electricity for medical equipment. Launched in 2022, this modular system has equipped 120+ clinics with reliable power, enabling life-saving procedures like blood storage and neonatal care. Musa’s design won the 2023 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer Prize, securing $500k to scale production.

Trained as an automotive engineer, Musa developed the SolarWheel after witnessing a maternal death in his hometown due to power outage during delivery. The system’s unique video explanation highlights its ability to charge 50 devices simultaneously while being manually transportable. Partnerships with UNICEF and Gavi have deployed units in Ghana and Mali, where they now power mobile vaccination teams. Musa’s TEDx Talk 'Rethinking Energy Equity' has sparked imitations in East Africa, with local engineers adapting the design for irrigation systems. His 2024 collaboration with MIT researchers aims to integrate telemedicine capabilities into future SolarWheel models.