Nigeria’s food service industry is booming, with tech-enabled startups playing a crucial role in its growth. One of the biggest shifts in Nigeria’s food service industry has been the rise of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), which hold the largest market share by foodservice type, accounting for 50.01% in 2023.
This dominance is attributed to the increasing demand for affordable and accessible food options, particularly in bustling urban centers like Lagos. According to Mordor Intelligence, the market is estimated at $10.01 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $17.24 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.49%.
This surge is driven by the country’s large population, which spends about 60% of its income on food, and a rising demand for convenience through delivery, storage, and access to diverse meals.
The market’s fragmentation and diversity provide opportunities for both startups and established players to capture a slice of this evolving industry, especially as consumer preferences shift toward convenience and technology-driven services.
These startups are tapping into an increasingly consumer-first market that values speed, accessibility, and convenience, especially in the context of Nigeria’s urban working population.
With these trends in mind, meet 7 founders behind disruptive startups in Nigeria’s food service industry.
Babafemi Aluko is the Co-Founder of Chowdeck. Before founding Chowdeck, Babafemi worked at Paystack (2017 – 2022), where he advanced from Senior Software Engineer to Principal Engineer, leading the migration of its payment platform from monolithic systems to microservices architecture. He also managed backend development teams and pioneered Test Driven Development.
Earlier in his career, Babafemi served as Team Lead at Shopping Internet Services (2016 – 2017) and developed predictive pricing systems at Hutbay (2015 – 2016). He also held technical roles 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 connecting customers with local and international restaurants. With a mission to empower African restaurants, Chowdeck has delivered over 80,000 meals in Lagos in just six months.
The platform recently raised $2.5 million in seed funding from investors like YCombinator, Goodwater Capital, and Rappi’s co-founders to expand operations and improve services across Nigeria.
Oscar Pierre, the Co-Founder and CEO of Glovo, is an entrepreneur with a background in Aerospace Engineering.
After completing his studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology (2010-2014) and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2010-2012), he shifted his focus to entrepreneurship, beginning with his first startup, which ultimately failed.
However, his next venture, Glovo, launched in December 2014, has been a remarkable success, transforming the on-demand delivery landscape in Europe, Western Asia, and Africa. Under Oscar’s leadership, Glovo has expanded to operate in over 500 cities across 22 countries, delivering more than 100 million orders annually.
In May 2023, Oscar co-founded Yellow, a pre-seed VC fund aimed at supporting ambitious European founders by sharing insights gained throughout his Glovo journey. Previously, he also co-founded Zikkomo (2010-2016), which focused on education to combat poverty, and FUO Concept (2014-2015), a marketplace for handmade local products.
In May 2023, Oscar co-founded Yellow, a pre-seed VC fund aimed at supporting ambitious European founders by sharing insights gained throughout his Glovo journey. Previously, he also co-founded Zikkomo (2010-2016), which focused on education to combat poverty, and FUO Concept (2014-2015), a marketplace for handmade local products.
A global player with a foothold in Nigeria, Glovo has expanded its reach across the country by offering on-demand delivery services, not just for food but also for groceries, pharmaceuticals, and other essentials.
Yinka Adewuyi is the Founder and CEO of GoLemon, an innovative online grocery store launched in September 2023, aimed at making grocery shopping accessible and affordable for all by offering a wide range of products delivered directly to customers’ homes.
Yinka’s entrepreneurial journey is powered by experience in product management at Paystack, where he held various positions over six years, culminating as Product Lead in February 2024. His tenure at Paystack, from January 2019 to February 2024, allowed him to develop and manage key product strategies that contributed to the company’s success in the fintech sector.
Before his role at Paystack, Yinka served as Community Engagement Lead at GoMyWay Africa from January 2016 to October 2017. He was also an On-Air Host at Unilorin 89.3 FM between January 2012 and September 2013. Yinka holds a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology/Animal Biology from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria (2009-2013).
GoLemon is carving a niche in Nigeria’s grocery sector by adopting a direct sourcing model that connects its inventory and fulfillment centers to farmers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) producers. GoLemon said it crossed N150 million in sales within 4 months of going live, serving over 7000 homes in Lagos.
GoLemon is designed to focus on large orders, catering specifically to consumers who make repeat purchases and maintain substantial basket sizes.
Tosin Onafuye is an innovative entrepreneur and tech leader who is the Co-Founder & CEO of ChowCentral (YC S23).
Tosin co-founded 500chow alongside Adeyemi Onafuye in July 2021, a venture specializing in West African cuisines aimed at promoting and delivering authentic local dishes to a broader audience.
He also held the position of Product Manager at First Ally from July to December 2021, where he contributed to product development in asset management, fostering 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 optimizing the restaurant supply chain through data analytics. Before that, he co-founded Muvit Technologies, a bike-hailing and logistics service.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics from Covenant University, completed between 2015 and 2019, and is a graduate of Y Combinator’s S23 program.
Chowcentral is a startup dedicated to building virtual restaurant chains across Africa. By partnering with under-utilized commercial kitchens, ChowCentral scales 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 impressive monthly revenues of $105,000 with a 30% gross margin. It currently has two subsidiaries 500 Chow and Greggs Grill.
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 merchants, helping them to grow their businesses and thrive in a competitive market.
Before founding ORDA, Guy held key roles at Jumia Group for over two years, where he served as Managing Director of On-Demand Services from April 2018 to January 2020 and later as Special Projects Director for six months in 2020.
He was Chief Operating Officer at Generation Enterprise from August 2015 to September 2016, focusing on venture development and operational excellence.
Earlier in his career, he founded MAJI WATER, a social venture dedicated to providing clean drinking water to underserved communities globally, operating from 2008 to 2014 and collaborating 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 concentration on Africa, at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University.
Orda has raised $4.5 million in total seed investment.
