A new $1 million investment into Eja-Ice Nigeria by All On is drawing attention to the persistent infrastructure gap undermining productivity in Nigeria’s agricultural and rural economy, where lack of refrigeration continues to result in post-harvest losses.
Cold-chain infrastructure remains one of the least developed segments of Nigeria’s energy and logistics ecosystem, particularly in regions with limited grid reliability. The result is a structural constraint that affects income stability for smallholder producers and limits value addition across perishable supply chains.
The investment will enable Eja-Ice to scale its solar-powered refrigeration systems, expanding access to decentralised cold storage in off-grid communities.
All On said the intervention is designed to address both energy poverty and economic productivity constraints simultaneously.
Commenting on the investment, Caroline Eboumbou, CEO, All On, said: “All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets.”
The investment underscores growing investor interest in distributed energy solutions that go beyond household electrification to address productivity constraints in agriculture and small-scale commerce. Cold-chain infrastructure, in particular, is increasingly being viewed as a critical enabler of food security and income stability in emerging markets where grid reliability remains uneven.
Eja-Ice’s business model integrates solar-powered refrigeration systems with modular cold storage infrastructure, allowing for improved operational control and tailored deployment in underserved communities. The company said its systems are already being deployed among micro-enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level users, especially in regions where access to stable electricity is limited or unavailable.
According to the company, the latest capital injection will support expansion of its production capacity, enhance distribution networks, and deepen penetration in off-grid markets where demand for affordable cooling solutions continues to rise.
Yusuf Bilesanmi, founder and chief executive officer of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, described the investment as a major milestone in the company’s growth trajectory and its broader vision for African-led manufacturing in the renewable energy sector.
He said: “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimized right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”
Cold-chain infrastructure remains one of the most underdeveloped segments of Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, despite its direct impact on food preservation, pricing stability, and rural incomes. Inadequate refrigeration capacity has long been linked to significant losses across fisheries, horticulture, and perishable goods distribution networks.
The All On investment is therefore expected to contribute not only to energy access expansion but also to economic outcomes, including reduced waste, improved market efficiency, and enhanced income predictability for small-scale producers.
All On, an impact investing company seeded by Shell, continues to position itself as a catalytic player in Nigeria’s off-grid energy market, deploying both equity and debt financing alongside non-financial support to renewable energy businesses.
The organisation said its focus remains on closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting commercially viable solutions that can scale sustainably while delivering measurable social and economic impact.
