By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
A Spanish quick-commerce start-up, Glovo, as part of its market expansion strategy and investment in Africa, has launched its operations in Nigeria.
The company commenced its business in Nigeria with the introduction of a multi-category delivery app. This is coming after the start-up raised €450 million at the close of its Series F funding round.
Nigeria is the start-up’s third market in West Africa and sixth in Africa. The on-demand courier service provider already operates in Morocco, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and over 20 other countries across the world.
The Glovo app, which has six unique categories, helps users with their immediate needs, especially in busy cities as users can order items from supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, drinks, and schedule specific deliveries from their mobile devices.
It has a package delivery category that extends to independent logistics companies to ensure maximum customer satisfaction where users can request for a rider on the platform to send or collect packages, with tracking from the app.
According to the Public Affairs Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Glovo, Mr Tokunbo Ibrahim, the entry of the firm into Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria, will not only boost its portfolio but also support local businesses.
He said, “The demand for world-class shopping opportunities in Africa continues to rise. Opening operations in Lagos, Nigeria, the nation’s economic capital and one of Africa’s largest economies, is a big step forward for our expansion in this market.
“Our goal as a company is to offer convenience and efficiency to our users, leveraging the technology of our platform and working with local partners to achieve this.
“As we progress, we will expand into other cities, partner with more local businesses and niche outlets to increase our portfolio, while adequately supporting Nigerian businesses.”
Glovo was founded in Barcelona in 2015 as an on-demand courier service that purchases, picks up, and delivers products ordered through its mobile app.
It offers multiple services with food delivery being the most popular offering, as it has brought its services to more than 40 cities, and more than 300,000 users, 8,000 restaurants, and 12,000 couriers.
