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Mr. Martins, the Divider

Updated: Dec 4, 2023

In the heart of the bustling Lagere streets in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, a familiar cry echoes through the air: "Fine Fan Ice, fine Fan Ice"



In the heart of the bustling Lagere streets in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, a familiar cry echoes through the air : "Fine Fan Ice, fine Fan Ice ....... "Martins, how much is your Fan Ice?" my mum would inquire. "50 Kobo for this very frozen one," he'd declare with a flair, "and that, that is not very frozen, you can take it for 25 Kobo." The command swiftly followed, "Oya, bring it! Cut it into three for them." the nightmare unfolds — a war between us, a battle for the perfect slice. Each piece has to be meticulously measured, cut, and divided into three equal parts, lest chaos be unleashed upon our household- Myself and my two sisters. As the years rolled by, the frozen mysteries deepened. Oblivious to the concept of the cold chain, we had no idea that these frozen confections held secrets beyond our taste buds.


Growing up gradually unraveled the cold chain mystery. Cold chain was Fan Ice, and Fan Ice was cold chain. They were inseparable, each relying on the other for existence. Martins, the neighborhood ice cream vendor, held the key to this delicious equation. The ability to slice Fan Ice into tempting portions meant more sales, especially to kids returning from school with meager pocket money. Yet, the joy of frozen treats came at a price. Nigeria's erratic power supply sent the costs of keeping ice creams and yoghurts cold skyrocketing. Then, like a cool breeze in a hot afternoon, Koolboks entered the scene,a deal with Fanmilk of Nigeria, Koolboks to pilot the cooling-as-a-service initiative.


No longer would Fanmilk agents need to grapple with the burden of diesel generators to power their freezers. Cooling would become a service. For agents like Martins, this meant more reasons to delight children with perfectly divided Fan Ice. Thankfully, myself and my sisters are out. We would not have to contend with that How I wish we could stop fighting over food though ... The last war we had was insane. It was over dodo and fried plantain. Restricted portions...soft and succulent, only the strong survived... I am sure you know who emerged as the undisputed champion


So here's to a Kooler Future, where icy delights come without the headache of power outages, and the only wars fought are over who gets the last slice of perfectly fried plantain.




Ayoola DOMINIC C.E.O / Co-Founder |+33 15 86 61 30 2 |+33 6 32 30 00 11|

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