FAQ’s
All On Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What is All On?
A: All On Partnerships for Energy Access Limited by Guarantee (“All On”) is an independent, Nigerian registered not-for-profit Company limited by guarantee established in 2016 by Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd (“Shell”) to act as a catalyst in the growth of Nigeria’s market for sustainable off-grid energy solutions.
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Q: What is its objective? What is it trying to achieve?
A: The objective is to provide targeted investments and technical support to companies in the private and non-governmental sectors active in the access-to-energy space, as well as engage in broader market-building activities such as research and advocacy. It aims to promote solutions where the potential is to reach millions of un-served and/or underserved customers.
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Q: What is All On’s linkage to Shell Plc?
A: Shell is the main benefactor of All On and has nominated directors on the Board of All On who act in the interests of All On. While Shell is an affiliated company of RDS, All On is an independent company in this regard and accountable to its own Board which are solely accountable for overseeing its daily operations.
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Q: Is this CSR?
A: All On is not a CSR initiative. While it is a not-for-profit company, All On will be applying a market-based approach to bridging the energy gap in Nigeria.
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Q: What type of partners is All On looking for?
A: All On is looking for partners who are willing and can provide targeted financial support in the form of tactical grants, working capital, equity, quasi equity, etc. to co- develop and test a range of interventions at small scale, and subsequently bring the most promising solutions to scale. It is also looking for partners to co-invest in knowledge to drive improved market data, support for the development of a full ecosystem of solution providers and market enablers in the access-to-energy space, and thought leadership for effective policy formulation.
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Q: What is the Company’s geographic focus?
A: The Company has a Nigeria wide mandate, with a skew towards business operating in, or having a clear path towards, operating in the Niger Delta. Working with partners, it will adopt a market based approach to deliver affordable, reliable energy access to underserved areas across the country.
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Q: How is it be governed?
A: All On has an independent Board of Directors currently comprising 2 Shell-nominated Directors and one external Director who are responsible for the strategic direction of the company. There is a Management responsible for daily operations that reports to the Board of Directors.
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Q: How is All On different from the Shell Foundation?
A: Shell has a long history of intervening across sectors in its countries of operation. Both Shell Foundation (“SF”, a UK registered charity) and All On (a Nigeria registered company limited by guarantee) are established to scale sustainable solutions to development challenges related to energy access. While All On’s mandate is local, Shell Foundation’s is global and also includes a focus on sustainable mobility. The two organisations are entirely independent although they both support widespread adoption of new technologies and business models that deliver large-scale impact to low-income communities.
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Q: Why focus exclusively on Access to Energy?
A: Today, approximately 28 million households and more than 10 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria lack meaningful access to electricity, which means they receive less than 4 hours of reliable electricity from the grid daily. Energy-poverty in the country is therefore a significant socio-economic issue, largely accounting for poor outcomes in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. with direct impact on Nigeria’s economic development. Energy poverty has undermined the ability of businesses (SMEs) to thrive given the huge overhead costs deployed to ensure access to energy and has greatly limited the ability of companies and industries to grow and be competitive. Based on a Needs Assessment conducted in 2015, evidence shows that communities and businesses are willing to pay for alternative energy solutions that will provide reliable supply. Several decentralized, off-grid energy solutions, such as mini-grids and solar home systems, are emerging. However, these fail to reach potential paying customers due to financial constraints, operational challenges, policy gaps and poor market data. With its partners, All On will be strategically positioned to help catalyze the market for viable solutions to these issues.
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Q: What is its strategy for catalyzing the market?
A: All On’s three-pronged strategy is-
Impact Investing: All On provides capital matched to the needs of the energy enterprises at a range of sizes. The focus is on enterprises with proven of-grid energy technology solutions and businesses that are ready to scale.
Enabling Finance: Due to the scale of capital required, All On supports and invests in enabling finance facilities that leverage additional capital for off-grid energy companies.
Enabling Environment: Engaging in broader market development activities and facilitating the creation of relationships to develop an ecosystem for access to energy solutions in Nigeria, in particular, All On
- acts as a convener of stakeholders to promote development of the ecosystem;
- commissions research and analysis to address specific gaps and crowd-in other players into the space; and
- works with partners to advocate for sound policies and best practices within the industry.
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Q: What investment instruments does All On deploy?
A: All On deploys financial instruments that meet the needs of its partners in facilitating their ability to deploy their solutions to the market. In this regard, a key strength of All On is the flexibility of the instruments it deploys. Recognizing that companies require different financing instruments (equity, debt, working capital financing, grants etc), depending on their stage of maturity, All On is willing to structure its investments in due consideration of this.
For further enquiries, please contact all-on-communications@all-on.com