Boer finally leaves All On, joins Calvin University, USA

Solomon Ezeme

Dr. Wiebe Boer, Nigerian-born Dutchman, pioneer Chief Executive Officer (CEO), All On, has announced his final departure from the company, as he begins administrative work as the 11th President at Calvin University,Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.

This happened after the company organised a send-forth party for him at the company’s headquarters in Lagos, to celebrate his laudable contributions to the success of the company and its positive impacts on the Nigerian renewable space since his assumption of office and in anticipation of his final exit from All On.

Wiebe made the disclosure on his social media handle, following an official announcement of his new role at Calvin University by the institution.

All On is a leading impact investing company in the Nigerian renewable energy industry seeded with funding from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

The Fund invests in off-grid energy solutions spanning solar, wind, hydro, biomass and gas technologies deployed by both foreign and local access-to-energy companies that complement available grid power across Nigeria and help bridge its significant energy gap.

Boer, who has played a pivotal role in his six years of service as CEO at All On, via his official LinkedIn handle on Monday, said, “My transfer to Calvin University is now complete.

He said, “Five year deal and option to renew. Look forward to many wins with the new team.

Calvin University had also, on July 4, stated, “This week, Wiebe Boer, Ph.D. began his tenure as president of Calvin University.

“Boer holds triple citizenship from Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands, and he concluded his first week as president by celebrating Canada Day with dozens of students and colleagues.”

The company, under the watch of Boer, has facilitated increased access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy sources, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and low-income households in underserved communities within Nigeria.

Given the unreliability of power supply by Nigerian Power Distribution Companies (DisCos), the impact of All On on the country’s power sector cannot be overemphasized. It has overseen several remarkable projects that have contributed to the development of the off-grid market in Nigeria.

All On has built an investment portfolio of almost 50 investee companies in the Nigerian renewable energy industry. According to Boer, 40 out of the 50 companies funded by the company are fully owned by Nigerians who are mostly young entrepreneurs.

Recently, All On, through Boer, offered a total of $500k investment grant to Greenage Technologies, a startup owned by two young entrepreneurs in Enugu, for the construction and expansion of manufacturing facility for charge controllers and inverters in the state.

In December 2021, Boer launched the “Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART) Program” to accelerate the growth of the renewable energy sector in Nigeria and beyond by combining demand pooling and aggregated purchasing of solar equipment, access to affordable finance, and coordinated logistics processes to unlock economies of scale for solar companies and achieve cost savings for end-users.

All On partnered Odyssey Energy Solutions and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to launch the solar equipment financing program for renewable firms in Nigeria. The DART program was backed by a $10 million Financing Facility equally seeded by All On and GEAPP.

In his last days at All On, EnergyDay recalls, Boer predicted that the full involvement of various state governments in Nigeria within the off-grid regulatory framework will both curb Federal Government’s power sector monopoly and collapse the current Power Distribution Companies (DisCos), stating that “some of the successful off-grid emerging companies would take over” their operations.

Reacting to his exit in a chat with EnergyDay, Kunle Odebunmi, CEO and Founder of AllBase Energy (a solar Energy firm which had also benefited from All On’s financing in 2021), said, “Dr. Wiebe Boer is a true, strong, and rare leader.

“He genuinely cares for the off-grid renewable sector in Nigeria and also all his investee companies.

“His accomplishments within five years at All On are highly phenomenal. Together with his team at All On, they’ve made impressive and significant contributions to the sector.

“The sector is evolving and I believe Dr. Wiebe’s pioneering impacts in the sector will snowball into a lasting legacy.

“He is an authentic leader and a friend and I hope he has many outstanding achievements in this new chapter at Calvin University.”

During the send forth ceremony last week, Boer was honoured by Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria(REAN) in recognition of his immense contributions to the Renewable Energy Sector and support to REAN.