E-Business
Chowdeck Secures $2.5M Seed Funding to Optimize On-demand Food Delivery in Nigeria

Chowdeck, Nigeria’s on-demand delivery service, has secured $2.5 million in seed funding to optimize its operations and support expansion into more cities across the country.
The seed funding round included investment from YCombinator, Goodwater Capital, FounderX Ventures, Hoaq Fund, Levare Ventures, True Culture Funds and Haleakala Ventures. Simon Borrero and Juan Pablo Ortega (co-founders of Rappi – Latin America’s largest online delivery platform), Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi (co-founders of Paystack – one of Africa’s leading fintech companies. Acquired by Stripe for $200m), Sudeep Ramani (Sportybet), Ayo Arikawe (Thrive Agric) and Karthik Ramakrishnan (Amazon) also participated as angels.
Since launching in October 2021 after the COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos, Chowdeck has acquired more than 500,000 users and more than 3,000 riders (typically earning the same as senior civil servants in Nigeria) that serve 8 Nigerian cities (Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Ilorin, Benin City, Abeokuta and Asaba).
This new funding will enable Chowdeck to double down on its market leadership in these cities and lay the groundwork for further expansion into other Nigerian cities.
Driven by a combination of increased smartphone and internet penetration, improved payment systems, evolving consumer preferences and a range of other factors, there has been a significant growth in on-demand delivery services in Nigeria in recent years.
For example, heavy traffic in major cities makes it challenging for people to shop for groceries, meals, or other goods, increasing the attractiveness of delivery services that can save time.
This growth trajectory is poised to continue as many of the challenges that hampered previous attempts at providing on-demand delivery services are fixed.
Chowdeck is the fastest delivery service operating out of Africa today, allowing consumers to buy food and have it delivered to their doorstep in 30 minutes, on average.
The startup has built an effective logistics operation that food vendors can leverage to seamlessly deliver meals to customers while also providing consumers with an easy platform to order meals from their favourite restaurants in their city.
The startup has also partnered with a wide range of leading quick-service restaurants such as Chicken Republic, Burger King, Bukka Hut and more to drive sales, provide logistics infrastructure and other services to enable enhanced customer experiences.
Femi Aluko, CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck, said, “We know that Nigerians love good food, and we just want to make it as easy as possible for them to access the food they desire.
Chowdeck was birthed to fulfil this purpose and we are committed to delivering truly excellent experiences for our customers, vendors and riders. We are pleased with the success we have achieved to date and excited to have raised these funds that will enable us to replicate that success in more parts of Nigeria, and add value to our customers, vendors, and riders in as many ways as we can.”
Shola Akinlade, CEO and co-founder of Paystack said, “Chowdeck is not only addressing the crucial need for an efficient and reliable on-demand delivery service in Nigeria, the team embodies innovation and a commitment to excellence.
It is a privilege to be part of their journey and I look forward to celebrating more success with them in months and years to come.
Apart from investing financially into the company, our experience with building Paystack puts us in a great position to provide a lot of practical support and I am excited to see what it is to come from the Chowdeck team.”
June Angelides, Partner at Levare Ventures, said “Chowdeck has quickly become a household name across Nigeria, priding itself on very high standards of execution. They are addressing a large and complicated problem, especially in Africa, delivering goods at record speed.
I am excited that they have proven that the opportunity is there beyond restaurants and supermarkets. The team have secured landmark partnerships with Shoprite, Chicken Republic and KFC, a sign of their grit. Their customers love them, their riders love them. There’s so much more to come and I’m excited to be with them on the journey”.
E-Business
Minister Seeks Digital Tech Adoption to Improve Agriculture, Boost Food Security

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has called for the urgent adoption of digital technology in Nigeria’s agricultural sector to boost food production, curb rising prices, and reduce the country’s dependence on food imports.
Speaking on Thursday in Abeokuta at the Ogun Tech Forward Innovation & Startups Roundtable session, Tijani stressed that Nigeria’s vast arable land and large population could only be effectively harnessed through technological intervention.
He warned that without embracing innovation, traditional farming practices would remain inefficient and expensive, putting food security at risk.
“Technology innovation has already contributed 16 to 18 per cent, but we are aiming for 21 per cent. We need to introduce our technology into agriculture to produce enough food to feed ourselves
“Without technology, countries like Nigeria cannot practise agriculture effectively. We have the vast land, but without technology, we won’t do it well,” the minister said.
Tijani noted that the continuous rise in food prices and the country’s dependence on foreign exchange to import grains that can be grown locally is unsustainable.
He emphasised that leveraging tools such as mobile apps, drones, sensors, and data analytics could transform Nigeria’s farming landscape by enabling precision agriculture and providing real-time insights on soil conditions, pest control, crop health, and intruder detection.
He maintained that the deployment of such technologies would not only enhance farming efficiency and sustainability but also lead to higher yields, lower production costs, and ultimately, more affordable food for Nigerians.
The minister also made a broader case for inclusive innovation across the country, cautioning that Nigeria’s technological future cannot be shaped by a few urban centres alone.
He said the federal government would support emerging tech ecosystems, especially in states like Ogun, to ensure grassroots participation in the digital economy.
Tijani declared, “We can’t leave innovation in the hands of just a few cities. Every part of Nigeria, including towns and rural areas, must be part of the digital journey. The more people we carry along, the stronger we become as a country.”
Tijani, however, revealed that the federal government would back Ogun Tech Hub’s initiative aimed at creating 300 jobs through business process outsourcing as part of a broader vision to transform Nigerian states into ‘talent cities’.
He said, “If we don’t invest in our own people, we’ll keep depending on others for solutions. We must create space for local ideas to grow and become real businesses.”
The minister further called for the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and drones into key sectors, particularly agriculture, while advocating for the adoption of generative AI in education to support personalised, accessible learning across communities.
In his remarks, the President of the Ogun Tech Community, Adekunle Durosinmi, called on the federal government to provide strategic support to accelerate the growth of the state’s digital ecosystem.
He urged the minister to facilitate the establishment of a functional innovation hub and a permanent secretariat to nurture local startups.
Durosinmi highlighted the critical role Ogun State plays in Nigeria’s economic framework, describing it as a major industrial hub and strategic transport corridor linking Lagos with the rest of the country and West Africa.
He said that with 57 per cent of its 7.1 million projected population in the working-age category, Ogun State possesses immense potential for digital innovation, job creation, and youth development.
“Ogun State is uniquely positioned to become a national leader in technology and entrepreneurship. We have more than 29 tertiary institutions—more than any other state in the country—which makes us a natural home for innovation,” he said.
Since its launch in February 2022 and formal registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Durosimi stated that the Ogun Tech Community has organised various initiatives aimed at strengthening digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and grassroots tech engagement.
He noted that the community has created 19 active clusters, ranging from developers and mentors to women in tech and agritech specialists, all working together to drive inclusive growth in the tech space.
He reiterated the community’s alignment with the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2024, stressing that its programmes, governance structure, and advocacy are geared toward promoting digital literacy, supporting startups and SMEs, encouraging e-government services, and fostering responsible digital innovation.
He also stressed that collaboration between government, industry, academia, and the tech ecosystem is key to achieving national development goals.
He expressed appreciation for Tijani’s presence at the roundtable, describing it as a clear indication of the federal government’s commitment to inclusive innovation.
“We want to see such solutions replicated across the country. To accelerate this, we need your support. Ogun urgently needs a fully functioning physical secretariat and, importantly, a dedicated innovation hub to nurture and grow even more startups,” he said.
E-Business
NOTAP, REVASS Ink Agreement to Strengthen Tech Compliance

National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has signed an agreement with Revass System limited to strengthen technology acquisition compliance through its regulatory framework and boost sustainable capacity in the country.
Speaking during the signing of the agreement in Abuja, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general and chief executive officer, NOTAP, said that the agreement is to reinforce NOTAP’s core mission of ensuring that technology imported into the Country serves the broader interest particularly in advancing local content development, nurturing indigenous capabilities and ensuring sustainable job creation.
In a statement made available to journalists by Raymond Ogbu, assistant chief information officer, NOTAP, the DG said that the major purpose of the agreement was for Revass Systems limited to design, develop, deploy and manage a secure and efficient digital revenue collection system for NOTAP that will be in compliance with NOTAP Act, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN financial guidelines, NITDA policies, and other applicable Nigerian laws.
The DG said that the app should enhance transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency in revenue collection and management as well as build the capacity of NOTAP staff through structured training and technology transfer initiatives.
Dr. Amadiobi stated that the agreement reflects a strategic approach to safeguarding Nigeria’s economic and technological independence by ensuring that every technology transferred into the country delivers tangible value to Nigerians.
“This partnership represents a pivotal step in ensuring that technologies coming into Nigeria are not only in compliance with Nigerian laws but also aligned with the country’s developmental priorities”.
“The goal of the agency is to ensure that every agreement NOTAP registers, contributes meaningfully to critical skills development, job creation and growth of local enterprises” she said.
The Director General reaffirmed that the milestone is in consonance with the strategic vision of the supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST) as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy driven by local capabilities, productive collaborations, and build globally competitive talents.
“No meaningful developments could happen in critical areas of our economy without the deployment of technology hence the office is making every effort to deploy technology in all its operations to ensure efficient and timely service delivery” she added.
E-Business
NEPC, NBS Sign MoU on Data Capturing

Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate data collection from Informal Cross Border Trade.
Nonye Ayeni, executive director/CEO of NEPC, at the signing ceremony held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital said the event marked a major turning point in Nigeria’s quest to grow its export trade through the capturing of data in the informal sector.
“Existing trade data primarily capture activities within the formal sector, offering limited visibility into informal export trade transactions, despite their significant volume and economic impact. In 2024, formal export trade records indicate that 7.291 million metric tons of non-oil products valued at US$5.456 billion, were exported from Nigeria. This figure excludes informal export trade data”, she added.
She stated that the Informal cross-border trade is not just a distant, peripheral activity but real trade that fuels livelihoods, strengthens regional supply chains, and contributes significantly to our national and continental economic resilience.
According to her, “Informal export trade representing millions of dollars in goods and services has remained largely outside our official records. Informal export trade data collected by NEPC State offices from major corridors in Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Lagos, Ogun, and Adamawa reveal transactions valued at over $31.8 million in some months of 2024”.
Ayeni disclosed that reports from the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), shows that over 1.6 million bags worth of the commodity were traded informally to neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Cote D Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, and Niger Republic.
The NEPC boss pointed out that these impressive achievements were not captured in the national export trade statistics thus portending real implications for economic planning for the country.
“It weakens Nigeria’s voice in regional and global trade negotiations, it denies informal traders the recognition and support they need to thrive as well as diminishes Nigeria’s economic potential, especially the vital contributions of women, youth, and MSMEs”.
Ayeni explained that the collaboration between the Council and the NBS was borne out of the desire to correct the imbalance and capture the full spectrum of Nigeria’s export trade activity.
Adeyemi Adeniran, statistician general of the Federation, noted that the meeting of key players from national and sub-national agencies, regional institutions, international development partners, and the organized private sector, reflects the strong spirit of collaboration required to address one of the most pressing challenges in Nigeria’s trade data architecture, capturing and integrating data from informal trade and trade in services into the national framework.
Adeniran was of the view that the data gap severely impedes evidence-based policymaking, limits capacity to engage in fair trade negotiations, and undermines the accuracy of macroeconomic indicators adding that traditional trade measurement systems have long focused on formal, large-scale transactions while overlooking the vibrancy of informal trade routes.
He disclosed that informal trade in Sub-Saharan Africa contributes between 20 to 40 per cent of intra-African trade, with Nigeria accounting for a significant share due to its long and porous borders.
“These are not just gaps in data, rather, they represent gaps in our understanding of economic life and the well-being of millions of Nigerians who engage in these activities daily”, he said
Adeniran said the collaboration with NEPC, presents a timely opportunity to update and harness current trends, identify new opportunities, and design data-informed strategies to support trade formalization, enhance competitiveness, and ultimately foster inclusive economic growth.
“Capturing informal trade data will also help us design smarter border policies, enhance food security, facilitate small and medium enterprise development, and monitor regional integration efforts,” he added.
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