Brands/Products
Nigerians Prefer Local Meals to Continental Dishes—Jumia
Technology-based businesses received a huge boost in 2020 and businesses without digital footprints were forced to review their operation model, as COVID-19 crippled global economic activities for the most part of the year.
Most of these tech-inclined shifts will become part of the new normal. E-commerce gained more traction in advanced and developed markets. Many small businesses had to embrace e-commerce to stay afloat, while global brands also formed strategic partnerships with major etailers to reach their numerous customers.
In Nigeria and by extension Africa, the increase in online food and groceries shopping was conspicuous. Though online food ordering has been part of the African e-commerce community, in recent times it became a trend to reckon with during lockdown and local cuisines displayed the prospect of being a major catalyst for growth in the food cum agricultural sector of African countries if properly harnessed.
“I think one of the trends that we’re seeing on the rise is the demand for food delivery services. That was already the case prior to the COVID-induced lockdown era, but the lockdown certainly escalated it exponentially.
“More and more, partly for safety reasons, and for convenience, consumers are opting for food delivery options as opposed to take out or eating-in. We’re even seeing an uptick in people who choose to use grocery delivery services as well,” said pop singer and CEO, Sooyah Bistro, Bankole Wellington.
An online Food Index report by Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia, showed that the online food ordering in Africa is at a rapid development speed.
According to the report, the growing popularity of fast food, coupled with the growing trends for convenience and value for money, have opened up opportunities for the food market in Nigeria.
Consequently, 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.
Interestingly, the report revealed that local Nigerian cuisines lead the preference on Nigerians compared to continental dishes, with 64 per cent of orders being placed for lunch.
“In top Nigerian cities: Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan, local meals remain the most popular on the Jumia platform, while foreign foods such as Pizza, Chinese and Shawarma are growing fast as Nigerians explore various meals available to them.
“The Place, Kilimanjaro, Sweet Sensation and Drumstick are the most popular local food vendors due to the affordability of their offers, while Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Cold Stone Creamery and Pizza Hut come out as the most popular international brands in the country,” the report read in part.
Jumia Nigeria CEO, Mr Massimiliano Spalazzi said local meals will be vital for the future of the online food market in Nigeria and many people will rely heavily on having their hot meals and groceries delivered at their doorsteps, as against going out to offline retail stores to purchase.
The government of each country continues to deal with the pandemic in the best ways possible. Yet, even after the pandemic is gone, the convenience of food delivery will still hold such a great appeal.
More consumers will therefore look to Jumia as a reliable alternative to staying safe and saving money. Local Nigerian meals will continue to be among the top three cuisines being ordered because of its affordability and appeal to the local communities. The subscription model will change as many food vendors will partner with existing models such as Jumia Prime.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To make finding the right service provider or reaching the right customer seamless, popular local information portal, Connect Nigeria, has introduced a Quote Request platform.
Connect Nigeria described the new system as “a digital solution designed to make connecting with service providers faster, easier, and more reliable.”
It said the Quote Request was built for consumers who need services quickly and want trusted options without the stress of searching endlessly; and service providers and businesses looking for real, high-intent customers without spending heavily on marketing.
“Whether you need a caterer for an event, a plumber for your home, or a designer for your brand, the platform is designed to connect you with the right people,” Connect Nigeria added.
“By connecting demand directly with supply, the platform creates a more structured and dependable marketplace,” it further stated.
At its core, the Quote Request simplifies the entire process of finding and offering services.
To use the service, users have to submit a request describing the service or product needed, which is then sent to verified vendors on the platform. Interested providers respond within 1–2 days, and users compare offers and choose what works best for their needs and budget.
“Instead of searching for vendors, the vendors come to you, with relevant, tailored responses,” Connect Nigeria explained.
The company expects this new platform to eliminate the stress of endless online searches, delayed or vague responses, and uncertainty about service quality.
As for businesses, it solves poor visibility, inconsistent customer flow, and lost opportunities due to slow response times.
Connect Nigeria Quote Request mobile app is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An institutional investor, First Ally Capital, has strengthened a leading Nigerian financial technology company, Mathesis Analytics, to scale its proprietary credit decisioning infrastructure.
It made this possible by injecting fresh capital into the firm, which specialises in AI-powered credit decisioning infrastructure, an action that will directly support the growth and scaling of Mathesis’ core mission of providing the intelligence and infrastructure needed to bridge the credit gap for millions of unscored or underscored individuals across Nigeria.
With this investment, Mathesis will enable financial institutions to confidently assess and extend credit to borrowers who lack a formal credit history by leveraging an expanded pool of alternative behavioural and transactional data.
To date, Mathesis’ systems have supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, and the company is actively deploying its infrastructure to establish a growing pan-African footprint.
With the investment from First Ally Capital, Mathesis is well positioned to transform how the credit ecosystem operates, driving financial inclusion in partnership with lenders across the continent.
A significant barrier to credit access in Nigeria, which prides itself on being Africa’s largest economy, is data fragmentation. Borrowers frequently build positive financial behaviours across multiple digital platforms by repaying microfinance loans, saving through fintech wallets, or servicing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) facilities.
However, under traditional credit infrastructure, these achievements remain invisible to new lenders.
Mathesis addresses this challenge through the concept of Personal Equity—the quantified expression of an individual’s financial behaviour aggregated across every institution with which they have transacted.
By translating these disparate signals into a precise, portable measure of creditworthiness, Mathesis creates a comprehensive credit identity that reflects the full breadth of a person’s financial life.
“True financial inclusion cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires structural collaboration in which lenders and fintech companies work as partners within the ecosystem.
“This investment from First Ally Capital validates our approach to reshaping credit infrastructure. By quantifying Personal Equity, we empower lenders to safely look beyond the constraints of formal credit histories and recognise a borrower’s true creditworthiness. This capital enables us to accelerate our pan-African expansion while maintaining the robust, institutional-grade infrastructure our partners rely on,” the chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Winston Osuchukwu, stated.
On his part, the chief executive of First Ally Capital, Mr Ebenezer Olufowose, said, “At First Ally Capital, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination for financial solutions, offering a diverse portfolio of services ranging from investment banking and asset management to trusteeship, inclusive banking, and real estate.
“Our investment in Mathesis Analytics reflects our strong belief in the company’s vision and our commitment to supporting forward-thinking enterprises that deliver excellence.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
