Jumia Food has expanded its food delivery service to five additional states in Nigeria as the company seeks to further drive the growth of online food and beverage delivery in the Nigerian market.
The new tier-2 cities on the Jumia Food map are Minna, Benin City, Kaduna, Abeokuta, Kano, and Ilorin.
Chief Executive Officer, Jumia Nigeria, Massimiliano Spalazzi, said the extension of Jumia Food to these additional cities is part of Jumia’s resolve to expand the growing popularity and thrilling experience of online fast food services to customers in all Nigerian states.
“The food industry is very relevant to the Nigerian economy. With today’s covid-19 realities, the growing popularity of fast food, coupled with the growing trends for convenience, safety and value for money, has opened up opportunities for the food market in Nigeria.
“As the leading online marketplace in Nigeria and Africa, it comes naturally to us to help drive the penetration of this service through our technology and reach of our logistics network.
“By doing this, we are also helping to explore the food segment of the Nigerian Agricultural sector which has the potential of huge contribution to the Nigerian economy,” he said.
In 2020, Jumia recorded a major service improvement in its existing footprints in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Ibadan by increasing its speed of delivery, with an average delivery time as fast as 26 minutes in Port Harcourt, 27 minutes in Lagos, 28 minutes in Ibadan, and 30 minutes in Abuja.
Jumia’s 2020 Nigeria Food Index report showed that the country’s agricultural sector experienced a major boom in 2019, significantly responsible for the 90.23 percent contribution made by non-oil sectors to Nigeria’s GDP.
The index further showed that the food and grocery retail market had total revenues of $44.9 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7 percent in the last eight years.
The report also showed that overall grocery retailing continues to expand, as consumers seek comfort and convenience when shopping for food.
The food segment was the most lucrative, with total revenues of $33.7 billion, equivalent to 75 percent of the market’s overall value.