All On targets energy access gap with 2026 off-grid energy challenge

All On has launched the 2026 Off-Grid Energy Challenge, inviting Nigerian clean energy companies to apply for funding and support to expand access to electricity in communities without reliable power.

Applications for the nationwide competition opened on 2 July and will close on 31 July 2026. The programme is open to Nigerian companies developing off-grid energy solutions that can improve electricity access while creating economic opportunities.

The initiative builds on previous editions of the Challenge, which have supported local businesses working in renewable energy and off-grid technologies. Since 2018, the programme has committed $3.6 million to 36 Nigerian-owned companies. According to All On, those projects have provided clean energy access to more than 150,000 Nigerians.

For the 2026 edition, successful applicants will receive between $200,000 and $1 million in blended funding. The financing will combine non-dilutive and commercial investment instruments. Selected companies will also receive technical assistance and investment-readiness support from the All On Hub team.

This year’s Challenge focuses on projects that promote the productive use of energy by helping businesses and communities turn electricity access into income-generating activities. Areas of interest include agricultural processing, cold storage, healthcare services, enterprise development, mini-grids, solar home systems and other innovations across the off-grid energy value chain. The programme will also support projects designed to improve outcomes for women and young people.

Speaking at the launch, Innovation Hub Manager, Sele Inegbedion, said the initiative was created to support local innovators developing solutions to Nigeria’s energy needs.
“The Off-Grid Energy Challenge exists because we believe the solutions to Nigeria’s energy problems already live within Nigeria, in the minds and hands of our entrepreneurs. Our role is to find them, back them, and walk with them as they grow. This year, we are doing that with more capital and more conviction than ever before. If you are building something that brings light and economic opportunity to communities that have been left behind, we want to hear from you.”

Chief Executive Officer of All On, Caroline Eboumbou, said the programme reflects the organisation’s commitment to supporting businesses working to expand off-grid energy access across the country.

“Nigeria’s off-grid energy sector has proven, year after year, that the right kind of support that is patient, flexible, and rooted in deep market understanding, can produce transformational outcomes. The Off-Grid Energy Challenge is one of the most direct expressions of what All On stands for: putting serious capital behind entrepreneurs who are dedicated to solving one of our country’s most pressing challenges.”

To qualify, applicants must be majority Nigerian-owned and managed, for-profit private companies that are legally registered and operating in Nigeria. They must also present innovative and commercially viable proposals capable of serving unserved or underserved communities within a 12 to 18-month investment period.

Through the 2026 Off-Grid Energy Challenge, All On aims to support businesses that can expand electricity access while creating jobs, supporting livelihoods and strengthening local economies in communities that continue to face energy shortages.