Nigerian startup Gokada, a last mile delivery, logistics and transportation platform, has launched a super app allowing customers to access food delivery, e-commerce, and ride hailing services in one place, on the back of crossing US$100 million in annualised transaction value.
Founded in 2018 as a ride-hailing app, Gokada has evolved to become a leading food delivery, parcel delivery, and last-mile e-commerce fulfillment solution.
The startup secured US$5.3 million in Series A funding in 2019, but was then hit by Lagos state’s motorcycle ban and the untimely death of founder Fahim Saleh. It has bounced back, however, and now has one of the largest fleets of delivery drivers in Lagos and empowers over 30,000 Nigerian businesses to help them serve their customers.
Gokada has grown its volume by more than three times in the last six months, passed US$100 million in annualised transaction value, and has completed over one million food delivery and e-commerce orders in the last 12 months alone. It now plans to expand beyond its current base in Lagos across multiple cities in Nigeria, including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Ogun, and will do this via its new super app and recent NIPOST license for cross-country courier and logistics services.
“The e-commerce and delivery market in Nigeria is growing at an exponential rate and will be worth more than US$20 billion over the next few years. I experienced the same kind of growth in India when I was with Zomato,” said Nikhil Goel, chief executive officer (CEO) of Gokada.
“Much like in India and our counterparts in other emerging markets, Gokada is building a transport infrastructure from the bottom up, using well-trained riders, powered by technology, to connect businesses large and small with a consumer base in its millions. This launch is core to our objective of positioning Gokada at the centre of Nigeria’s e-commerce and delivery revolution.”
