The food service industry in Nigeria is booming, with tech-based startups playing a crucial role in its growth. One of the biggest changes in the food service industry in Nigeria has been the rise of quick service restaurants (QSRs), which own largest market share by food service typerepresenting 50.01% in 2023.
This dominance is attributed to the growing demand for accessible and affordable food options, especially in bustling urban centers like Lagos. Conformable Mordor Intelligencethe market is estimated at USD 10.01 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 17.24 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.49%.
This growth is driven by the country’s large population, which spends about 60% of its income on food, and a growing demand for convenience through delivery, storage and access to various meals.
Market fragmentation and diversity provide opportunities for startups and established players alike to capture a piece of this evolving industry, especially as consumer preferences shift toward convenience and technology-based services.
These startups are tapping into an increasingly consumer-focused market that values ​​speed, affordability and convenience, especially in the context of Nigeria’s urban working population.
With these trends in mind, meet 7 founders behind disruptive startups in the food service industry in Nigeria.
Babafemi Aluko- Co-Founder Chowdeck
Babafemi Aluko is the co-founder of Chowdeck. Prior to founding Chowdeck, Babafemi worked at Paystack (2017 – 2022), where he advanced from Senior Software Engineer to Principal Engineer, leading the migration of its payments platform from monolithic systems to microservices architecture. He also managed backend development teams and pioneered Test Driven Development.
Earlier in his career, Babafemi was a team leader at Shopping Internet Services (2016 – 2017) and developed predictive pricing systems at Hutbay (2015 – 2016). He also held technical positions at Softblue Nigeria Limited (2013 – 2015) and interned at Toptech Engineering Ltd (2013 – 2014) specializing in security systems for banking institutions.
Founded in October 2021 in Lagos, Chowdeck is a food delivery platform that connects customers with local and international restaurants. With a mission to empower African restaurants, Chowdeck delivered over 80,000 meals in Lagos in just six months.
The platform recently raised $2.5 million in seed funding from investors such as YCombinator, Goodwater Capital and Rappi co-founders to expand operations and improve services in Nigeria.
Oscar Pierre – Co-founder and CEO, Glovo
Oscar Pierre, co-founder and CEO of Glovo, is an entrepreneur with an aerospace engineering background.
After completing his studies at Georgia Institute of Technology (2010-2014) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2010-2012), he shifted his focus to entrepreneurship, starting with his first startup, which ultimately failed.
However, his next venture, Glovo, launched in December 2014, has been a resounding success, transforming the on-demand delivery landscape in Europe, West Asia and Africa. Under Oscar’s leadership, Glovo has expanded to operate in over 500 cities in 22 countries, delivering over 100 million orders annually.
In May 2023, Oscar co-founded Yellow, a pre-seed venture capital fund aimed at supporting ambitious European founders by sharing the knowledge gained along his Glovo journey. Previously, he also co-founded Zikkomo (2010-2016), which focused on education to fight poverty, and FUO Concept (2014-2015), a marketplace for local handmade products.
A global player with a foothold in Nigeria, Glovo has expanded its reach across the country, offering on-demand delivery services not just for groceries, but also for food, pharmaceuticals and other essentials.
Yinka Adewuyi-Co-Founder/CEO, GoLemon
Yinka Adewuyi is the founder and CEO of GoLemon, an innovative online grocery store launched in September 2023 aimed at making grocery shopping affordable and accessible for all by offering a wide range of products delivered directly to customers’ homes.
Yinka’s entrepreneurial journey is supported by product management experience at Paystack, where he held various positions over six years, culminating as Product Liad in February 2024. His tenure at Paystack, from January 2019 to February 2024, takes allowed to develop and manage key products. strategies that have contributed to the company’s success in the fintech sector.
Prior to her role at Paystack, Yinka served as Community Engagement Lead at GoMyWay Africa from January 2016 to October 2017. She was also an on-air host at Unilorin 89.3 FM between January 2012 and September 2013. Yinka holds a in Zoology/Animal Biology from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria (2009-2013).
GoLemon is carving out a niche in Nigeria’s food sector by adopting a direct sourcing model that connects inventory and delivery centers with farmers and FMCG manufacturers. GoLemon said it has crossed N150 million in sales within 4 months of its launch, serving over 7000 homes in Lagos.
GoLemon is designed to focus on large orders, specifically targeting consumers who make repeat purchases and maintain substantial basket sizes.
Tosin Onafuye- Co-Founder/CEO ChowCentral
Tosin Onafuye is an innovative entrepreneur and technology leader who is the co-founder and CEO of ChowCentral (YC S23).
Tosin co-founded 500chow with Adeyemi Onafuye in July 2021, a venture specializing in West African cuisines aimed at promoting and delivering authentic local food to a wider audience.
He also held the position of Product Manager at First Ally from July to December 2021, where he contributed to asset management product development, driving the company’s growth and operational strategies.
Tosin was also a supply chain analyst at Vendease (YC W21) from April to July 2021, focusing on restaurant supply chain optimization through data analysis. Before that, he co-founded Muvit Technologies, a bicycle transportation and logistics service.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics from Covenant University, completed between 2015 and 2019, and is an alumnus of the Y Combinator S23 program.
Chowcentral is a startup dedicated to building virtual restaurant chains in Africa. By partnering with underutilized commercial kitchens, ChowCentral grows brands while serving customers at costs up to 10 times lower than traditional brick and mortar establishments.
Since its inception in January 2022, the company has achieved an impressive monthly revenue of $105,000 with a gross margin of 30%. It currently has two branches 500 Chow and Greggs Grill.
Guy Futi-Co-founder/CEO of Orda Africa
Guy Futi is the co-founder and CEO of ORDA, a company launched in August 2020 in Nigeria. ORDA’s mission is to harness innovative technology to empower African food retailers, helping them grow their businesses and thrive in a competitive market.
Prior to founding ORDA, Guy held key roles at Jumia Group for over two years, where he served as General Manager of On-Demand Services from April 2018 to January 2020 and later as Director of Special Projects for six months in 2020.
He was Chief Operating Officer at Generation Enterprise from August 2015 to September 2016, focusing on risk development and operational excellence.
Early in his career, he founded MAJI WATER, a social enterprise dedicated to providing clean drinking water to underserved communities globally, operating from 2008 to 2014 and partnering with major retailers such as Loblaws and Whole Foods.
Guy is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil/PhD) in Global and Area Studies with a focus on Africa at the University of Oxford. He also holds a master’s degree from Harvard University.
Horde has raised $4.5 million in total seed investment.
Henry Nneji- Co-founder/CEO of FoodCourt
Henry Nneji is a dynamic entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of FoodCourt, a startup launched in August 2021 and part of the Y Combinator S22 cohort. Its other co-founders are Ovuoke Buluku (COO) and Paul Adokiye Iruene (CTO).
Based in Lagos Nigeria, FoodCourt aims to revolutionize the food delivery landscape by providing a seamless platform for consumers to access a diverse range of dining options from local restaurants.
In addition to his role at FoodCourt, Henry is also an investor in Immersed, a Techstars ’17 company, where he has been involved since July 2020, helping to grow and develop innovative technology projects. His previous experience includes serving as Director of Green House Agric from August 2020 to July 2021, where he focused on agricultural development initiatives in Nigeria.
Henry also held the position of Head of Operations at HK Commerce, an e-commerce company in the United Kingdom, from June to December 2020. His diverse experience extends to being the Project Lead Manager at SHACMAN Nigeria from November 2019 to October 2020, overseeing critical projects in the automotive sector.
FoodCourt offers a multi-restaurant delivery platform that allows users to order meals from multiple restaurants in one go.
The platform allows customers to mix and match dishes from different suppliers in a single transaction, offering greater variety and flexibility in dining options.
Luther Lawoyin: Founder and CEO of PricePally
Luther Lawoyin is an entrepreneur based in Lagos, Nigeria, and the founder and CEO of PricePally since November 2019.
Luther’s experience spans social commerce, consumer technology and cross-border e-commerce, supported by strong skills in market adaptation, product development and growth hacking. He has built four successful businesses, including Lucy.ng, which has achieved over one million USD in sales.
In addition to leading PricePally, he has served as an entrepreneur at Endeavor since February 2024 and has been part of the SOSV MOX Accelerator Program since August 2021. His role as a board member for Motherland, which he joined in October 2021, highlights his commitment. for empowering African entrepreneurs. Luther holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Lagos and completed a scaling risk bootcamp at MIT in 2019.
Pricepally is an innovative e-commerce platform that connects consumers directly with farmers and wholesalers, offering bulk and portioned options at competitive prices. This model not only reduces food costs, but also increases the profitability of food manufacturers through faster turnover and minimal waste.
Note: The people featured in this compilation have been handpicked by a distinguished panel of editors, experts and analysts at Nairametrics. It is important to note that none of the individuals listed requested their inclusion. While this list aims to be comprehensive, it is by no means exhaustive; numerous other contributors have played an important role in promoting the food service market in Nigeria. This compilation is exclusive to Nairametrics and may be updated periodically to reflect changes and advancements in the field. Feedback will be appreciated.
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