Glovo appoints Reni Onafeko as Managing Director of Nigeria, underscoring the country’s status as the company’s fastest‑growing market in 2025. The move highlights intensifying competition, rising consumer demand and a broader shift toward integrated logistics in Africa.
Glovo’s decision to install a Nigerian‑born executive reflects a strategic pivot from a “global‑first” playbook to a locally nuanced approach. The firm entered Nigeria in 2020, initially focusing on food delivery in Lagos before expanding to grocery, pharmacy and B2B logistics. Within five years the platform secured over 1.2 million active users and partnered with 3,000+ merchants.
Onafeko, formerly the head of product at a leading Nigerian digital bank, brings deep insight into consumer payment habits and data‑driven product development. In her own words, “Understanding how Nigerians move money, how they trust brands and how they navigate city traffic is the only way to build a delivery service that feels native.” Her mandate is threefold: accelerate merchant acquisition, tighten operational efficiency, and embed Glovo more firmly into the everyday commerce ecosystem.
The appointment also signals Glovo’s response to intensifying competition. Companies such as Jumia, Bolt Food and local startup Oya are expanding aggressively, often subsidising orders to undercut rivals. By tapping a leader who knows the intricacies of the Nigerian market, Glovo aims to shift from price‑driven growth to sustainable, differentiated servicessuch as same‑day pharmacy delivery and integrated fintech solutions.
- Revenue growth: Glovo reported a 57 % year‑on‑year increase in Nigerian GMV for 2025, outpacing its global average of 32 %.
- Market share: Independent analysts estimate Glovo now controls 12 % of Nigeria’s on‑demand delivery market, trailing only Jumia (23 %) and Bolt Food (15 %).
- Investment flow: Venture capital into African logistics hit $1.9 billion in 2025, a 41 % rise from the previous year, indicating strong investor confidence in the sector’s scalability.
- Employment impact: Glovo’s operations support over 45 000 riders in Nigeria, a figure that could double if the company meets its 2026 expansion targets.
These numbers illustrate why Nigeria matters to Glovo’s bottom line. The country’s young, mobile‑first populationwith 70 % under 35generates high demand for instant fulfillment. Smartphone penetration reached 55 % in 2025, while internet bandwidth improvements reduced average delivery times from 45 to 28 minutes in major cities.
However, the economics of on‑demand delivery remain precarious. Margins hover around 3‑5 % after accounting for rider incentives, fuel subsidies and promotional discounts. Glovo’s new leadership will need to balance growth with profitability, possibly by leveraging its Glovo Pay wallet to capture transaction fees and cross‑sell financial products.
Nigeria’s delivery boom is more than a commercial story; it reflects a transformation in how urban Africans access goods and services. The pandemic accelerated adoption of home‑delivery, but the momentum has persisted as infrastructure gapspoor road networks, unreliable electricity and fragmented logisticspush consumers toward digital alternatives.
Local entrepreneurs are filling niche gaps that larger platforms overlook. For instance, micro‑logistics firms in Kano specialize in last‑mile delivery to informal markets, while fintech startups embed credit lines directly into checkout flows. Glovo’s expansion must therefore coexist with a vibrant ecosystem of smaller players, many of whom operate on thin margins but enjoy deep community trust.
Regulatory scrutiny adds another layer of complexity. The Nigerian Communications Commission recently proposed stricter data‑localisation rules for foreign tech firms, while the Federal Ministry of Transportation is drafting guidelines for rider welfare and insurance. Onafeko’s prior experience navigating fintech regulation will be critical in aligning Glovo’s operations with emerging policies, mitigating the risk of fines or service interruptions.
> “The future of delivery in Nigeria hinges on partnership, not domination,” says Dr. Aisha Bello, a professor of digital economics at the University of Lagos. “Platforms that embed themselves in local value chains, respect regulatory frameworks and invest in rider welfare will shape the next decade of commerce.”
Glovo’s roadmap under Onafeko includes three priority initiatives:
1. Hyper‑local warehousing: Deploy micro‑fulfilment centres in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to reduce reliance on merchant inventory and cut delivery times to under 20 minutes.
2. Integrated fintech services: Expand Glovo Pay to offer micro‑loans for riders and merchant credit lines, generating ancillary revenue while deepening platform stickiness.
3. Sustainability drive: Pilot electric bikes for 10 % of its fleet by 2027, aligning with Lagos State’s clean‑mobility targets and appealing to environmentally conscious consumers.
If executed well, these moves could lift Glovo’s Nigerian GMV to $1.8 billion by 2027, positioning the country as a regional hub for West African logistics. The company also plans to test a “shop‑from‑anywhere” feature, allowing users to order from stores outside their city and receive deliveries via a networked hub‑and‑spoke modelan ambitious step that could redefine cross‑city commerce.
Reni Onafeko’s appointment is a decisive signal that Glovo is betting on Nigeria not just as a growth market, but as a cornerstone of its long‑term African strategy. Success will depend on marrying aggressive expansion with operational discipline, regulatory compliance and genuine local partnership. As the delivery sector matures, the firms that balance speed, cost and community impact will emerge as the true winnersand Glovo appears ready to play that game.