In Lagos, electricity is unevenly distributed. Some homes have reliable solar and inverter systems. Others struggle with daily outages. iHaveLight connects these two groups — a hyperlocal marketplace where hosts with power can share it with neighbors who need it. Built with Paystack-powered wallet escrow, NIN verification, and tiered listing types.
The problem is visible everywhere in Lagos. One street has homes with solar panels and battery backups humming quietly through grid outages. The next street over, students are studying by phone flashlights because the power has been out for six hours.
The gap isn't about resources — it's about distribution. People who have invested in alternative power solutions have excess capacity much of the time. People who need power have nowhere to turn when the grid fails. The infrastructure for sharing this resource simply doesn't exist.
The Problem — Why Electricity Sharing Matters
Nigeria's electricity challenges are well-documented. Grid instability is the norm, not the exception. In Lagos, the commercial capital, businesses and households have adapted by investing in alternative power solutions — solar panels, inverters, generators.
But these solutions are individual. Each household solves its own problem. There's no mechanism for sharing capacity. A home with a 5kVA inverter might be using only 2kVA at night while a neighbor down the street is desperate for power to charge devices or work.
This is inefficient and inequitable. It's also a missed economic opportunity. Hosts with excess capacity could monetize it. Seekers who need power could pay for access. The market exists — it just needs a platform.
"Electricity shouldn't be a zero-sum game. When one person has power, everyone should have access."
We called our solution iHaveLight — a simple declaration that becomes an invitation to share.
What We Built
iHaveLight is a two-sided marketplace with three core user types: hosts (people with power to share), seekers (people who need power), and the platform that connects them safely.
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Two Listing Types — "Drop & Go" for quick device charging (phones, laptops) with minimal host interaction, and "Private Space" for extended work sessions where seekers can work in the host's space.
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Paystack-Powered Wallet System — both hosts and seekers have platform wallets. Seekers fund wallets via Paystack; payments are held in escrow until the session is completed and confirmed, then released to the host.
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NIN Verification — all users must verify their National Identity Number before listing or booking. This creates accountability and trust in a peer-to-peer marketplace where strangers are meeting in physical spaces.
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Rating & Review System — after each session, both host and seeker can rate each other. Reviews are public and influence future booking decisions. Bad actors get filtered out over time.
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Hyperlocal Search — seekers can find hosts within specific radii (500m, 1km, 2km) with real-time availability status. The platform shows estimated walking time and power capacity.
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Session Management — hosts can set availability windows. Seekers can book sessions in advance or request immediate access. The platform handles check-in, check-out, and automatic payment release.
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Analytics Dashboard — hosts can track earnings, utilization rates, and peak demand times. Seekers can track spending and favorite hosts for repeat bookings.
The Build — Django, React & Paystack Integration
Our backend is Django with PostgreSQL. We chose Django for its robust authentication system, which we extended with custom NIN verification logic. The database schema handles complex relationships — users can be both hosts and seekers, listings have multiple availability windows, and sessions have various states (pending, confirmed, in-progress, completed, disputed).
The frontend is React/Vite for a responsive, real-time experience. We used WebSockets for live availability updates — when a host marks themselves as available, seekers see it instantly without refreshing.
The Paystack integration was critical. We built a custom wallet system that sits on top of Paystack's payment APIs. When a seeker funds their wallet, money goes into our platform account. When they book a session, funds are moved to escrow. Only when both parties confirm completion are funds released to the host's wallet, from which they can withdraw to their bank account.
"Escrow isn't just about security — it's about creating trust between strangers."
Trademark & Legal Protection
One aspect of iHaveLight that we took seriously from the beginning was intellectual property protection. We filed for trademark registration through UNILAG's ITMO (Intellectual Property and Technology Management Office).
This wasn't just about protecting the brand — it was about signaling seriousness. When you're building a marketplace that involves physical meetups and financial transactions, users need to know you're committed for the long term. A registered trademark is one signal of that commitment.
What We Learned
We could have added dozens of features — advanced scheduling, group bookings, dynamic pricing. But what actually matters is trust. NIN verification, escrow payments, rating systems — these are the features that make people comfortable meeting strangers and transacting money. Everything else is secondary.
This isn't just a digital platform — it facilitates physical meetups. We had to think about safety features that don't apply to pure digital marketplaces: public meeting point recommendations, emergency contact sharing, session check-in requirements, and clear policies for handling disputes or safety incidents.
Building a wallet system on top of payment APIs is more complicated than direct payments. You have to handle funding, escrow, release, refunds, disputes, and withdrawal flows. You need robust accounting and audit trails. But the complexity is worth it — escrow solves the fundamental trust problem in peer-to-peer marketplaces.
General location data isn't enough. We needed walking times, neighborhood boundaries, and local context. A 500m radius means something different in a dense area like Yaba than it does in a sprawling area like Lekki. We had to build location intelligence that understands Lagos specifically, not just generic geography.
What's Next for iHaveLight
iHaveLight is currently in final testing stages before public launch. We're running a closed beta with selected hosts and seekers in specific Lagos neighborhoods to validate the core flows and gather feedback.
We're planning a phased rollout — starting with high-density areas where the host-seeker ratio is favorable, then expanding based on demand. We're also exploring partnerships with solar installation companies to offer iHaveLight integration as a value-add for their customers.
"The future of energy isn't just about generating more — it's about sharing what we have more intelligently."
If you're interested in becoming a host or joining our waitlist as a seeker, get in touch. We're building for a Lagos where electricity access is shared, not hoarded — where having light means your neighbors can too.
Want to join iHaveLight?
We're launching soon. Sign up for early access as a host or seeker.
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