Priority Sectors & Innovation Opportunities
Healthcare Facilities
Cooling is essential to safe and effective healthcare delivery, especially in settings with unreliable electricity. We are seeking solutions that enable reliable vaccine and pharmaceutical refrigeration, support the preservation of blood and laboratory samples, and improve patient comfort in facilities such as maternal wards and emergency units. Proposals should consider systems that operate effectively in rural or remote areas, incorporate temperature monitoring or diagnostic features, and require low levels of maintenance. Innovations may include solar-powered medical refrigerators, portable cold-chain units for last-mile vaccine delivery, or passive cooling strategies that enhance the performance of primary healthcare centres.
Agriculture & Food Systems (Production, Storage, Processing, Markets)
Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge for farmers, producers, and traders, making efficient cooling an important part of strengthening Nigeria’s food systems. We are looking for solutions that extend the shelf life of perishable goods, enable community-scale cold rooms powered by renewable energy, and improve cold-chain logistics from farms to markets. Ideas should be affordable, easy to operate, and adaptable to both rural and peri-urban communities. Innovations could range from solar-powered cold storage hubs and mobile cooling units for market vendors to low-cost evaporative systems or cold rooms that use thermal storage to maintain temperatures through the night.
Academia & Research Institutions (Labs, Libraries, Hostels)
Educational and research environments depend on stable cooling for both human comfort and scientific accuracy. We are seeking solutions that provide efficient cooling for classrooms, libraries, and study spaces, support temperature-sensitive laboratory work, and offer affordable cooling options for student hostels. Proposals should reflect an understanding of campus energy challenges and present models that reduce dependence on generators while promoting cleaner alternatives. This may include intelligent solar-powered cooling systems, hybrid passive–mechanical solutions, or demonstration projects that can be replicated across universities and training institutions.
Small Businesses & Community Infrastructure
Cooling plays a significant role in enabling small businesses—such as shops, restaurants, and market traders—to operate productively and consistently. We are interested in solutions that provide affordable cooling for retail spaces, enhance the storage of beverages and perishable goods, and support off-grid ICT centres and community service hubs. Ideas should be modular, portable, and suitable for environments where space, power, and maintenance capacity may be limited. Examples include compact solar-powered freezers, cooling kiosks for vendors, and thermally-managed community ICT hubs that operate reliably in low-energy settings.