If one should name an industry that has gained tremendous growth, success, and impact, it is online food delivery. With the increasing advancement in technology, significant mergers from various investors, and the human need for food, the global food delivery market will most likely reach an estimated $215 billion by 2024.
The success of this sector is also very evident in a country like Nigeria, with food being a crucial need for all, especially in the working-class sector in busy cities like Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. According to numbers by Worldometer, Nigeria’s rank as the largest populated country in Africa, with over 200 million people, has contributed to the food segment revenue of $33.7 billion. This high revenue can also be attributed to the fast adoption rate of smartphones in the country, which allows customers to access food delivery services via mobile apps.
Africa’s biggest e-commerce platform, Jumia, through its food delivery services has made an indelible mark on the Nigerian food industry since its launch in 2012.
One of the significant ways it does this is through the large number of partnerships with various Nigerian restaurants. This has made it easier for consumers to order food from a restaurant through the Jumia Food app regardless of location. For the vendors, it also gives them a wider range of consumers, which helps them to stay ahead of the competition. This was quite evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when restaurants partnering with Jumia Food were able to sustain their businesses through the Jumia delivery network.
In 2020, Jumia launched the Nigeria Food Index Report, the first of its kind in the segment. The report captured the growing popularity of fast food in Nigeria and the positive impact and prospects for the Nigerian Agricultural sector. The report also revealed that local Nigerian cuisines led the preference of Nigerians compared to continental dishes, with 64% of orders being placed for lunch.
In its bid to drive further growth of online food and delivery services, Jumia Food expanded its reach to several cities in Nigeria, such as Ibadan, Minna, Benin, Kaduna, Abeokuta, Kano, and Ilorin. With the ever-growing need for convenience and value for money, there is no doubt that Jumia Food has helped to create a huge boom in the online food delivery sector which would, in turn, lead to significant growth in the country’s economy and revenue.
Recently, Jumia entered a partnership with Errand360, a bicycle delivery company in Nigeria, to make food deliveries via the Jumia Food app seamless with hundreds of riders across multiple locations. This is a way to show Jumia’s efforts in strengthening the food delivery services in Nigeria. For a company like Jumia that keeps innovating ways to promote customer satisfaction, we are best to believe that the food delivery service in Nigeria is a step further to becoming more dynamic.
