By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The food delivery service of popular e-commerce platform, Jumia, has been expanded to serve more customers in key cities of Nigeria.
In a statement, Jumia Food said residents of Minna in Niger State, Benin City in Edo State, Kaduna in Kaduna State, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Kano in Kano State and Ilorin in Kwara State can now order for food items online and would be delivered to their doorstep.
According to the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, Mr Massimiliano Spalazzi, the extension of the company’s food delivery service to these tier-2 cities on the Jumia Food map was to allow residents of these places to enjoy the thrilling experience of online fast food services.
He said it was also to further drive the growth of online food and beverage delivery in the Nigerian market.
“The food industry is very relevant to the Nigerian economy. With today’s COVID-19 realities, the growing popularity of fast food, coupled with the growing trends for convenience, safety and value for money, has opened up opportunities for the food market in Nigeria.
“As the leading online marketplace in Nigeria and Africa, it comes naturally to us to help drive the penetration of this service through our technology and reach of our logistics network. By doing this, we are also helping to explore the food segment of the Nigerian Agricultural sector which has the potential of huge contribution to the Nigerian economy,” he said.
In 2020, Jumia recorded a major service improvement in its existing footprints in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Ibadan by increasing its speed of delivery, with an average delivery time as fast as 26 minutes in Port Harcourt, 27 minutes in Lagos, 28 minutes in Ibadan, and 30 minutes in Abuja.
Jumia’s 2020 Nigeria Food Index report showed that the country’s agricultural sector experienced a major boom in 2019, significantly responsible for the 90.23 per cent contribution made by non-oil sectors to Nigeria’s GDP.
The index further showed that the food and grocery retail market had total revenues of $44.9 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7 per cent in the last eight years.
The report also showed that overall grocery retailing continues to expand, as consumers seek comfort and convenience when shopping for food.
The food segment was the most lucrative, with total revenues of $33.7 billion, equivalent to 75 per cent of the market’s overall value.
