Glovo says Nigeria is its fastest-growing market after expansion push

Glovo, the global on-demand delivery platform that entered Nigeria in 2021, has said the country emerged as its fastest-growing market in 2025.

At its Future of Commerce 2026 summit in Lagos on Wednesday, the company disclosed that it has invested over ₦37 billion ($27 million) in Nigeria, and delivered 38 million items over the past year, nearly doubling the value generated for businesses on its platform. 

The growth validates a strategy Glovo has been building since its launch in Nigeria. The company considers the country as a long-term anchor market and is investing more in its local operations.

“At Glovo, we are focused on empowering SMBs (small and medium businesses) with the tools, technology and access they need to grow, scale, and compete effectively in a rapidly evolving digital economy,” said Reni Onafeko, Glovo Nigeria’s general manager. 

“By fostering collaboration across the public and private sectors, we are creating opportunities that drive sustainable growth and long-term impact.”

That growth places Nigeria at the centre of Glovo’s African strategy, where the company currently operates in five other markets, including Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, and Côte d’Ivoire. Since entering Africa in 2018, Glovo disclosed that it has invested over €250 million ($292 million) across the region, and Africa now accounts for 25% of its global business. 

Nigeria’s online food delivery market size surpassed $1 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.7 billion by 2034. The space has seen intensified competition from local players like Chowdeck and HeyFood, alongside global platforms like Glovo. Together, they are turning Nigeria into one of Africa’s most active on-demand economies.

As global delivery platforms search for scale in emerging markets, Nigeria’s over 200 million population, 55.8% urban density, and online penetration of 45.4% makes it a market capable of supporting on-demand commerce at scale. Being Glovo’s fastest-growing market suggests these factors are beginning to translate into sustained demand.

“Nigeria is a very exciting market,” said Dima Rasnovsky, Regional General Manager at Glovo Africa, during his address. 

“Nigeria has two things: population and momentum. There are a lot of good trends[…] It’s like a wave here, and if we (Glovo) are part of the wave, it is exciting. The market is going forward, and it is great to be part of the journey.”

At the product level, Glovo is leaning on incremental improvements of its technology and service offerings to drive growth. 

Onafeko noted that product and technology changes accounted for 35% of sales growth in merchants within the past year, reflecting how user experience tweaks were shaping demand. 

In March 2026, the company introduced a road safety feature for its riders in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), which provides the agency with real-time feedback on behaviours such as speeding and braking.  Since its launch, the tool has seen 60% adoption among riders, which the company says is part of its goal to improve efficiency and safety across its network. 

At the summit, Glovo also mentioned plans to expand into more locations across Nigeria in 2026, targeting underserved areas beyond the 11 cities it currently operates in. 

While exact locations and timelines were not revealed, this expansion, according to Onafeko, is in response to demand from businesses and customers in these areas.

The company also said it would double down on multi-category commerce, moving beyond food into groceries and retail, as other on-demand platforms race to become full-service marketplaces rather than single-category apps. In December 2025, Chowdeck partnered with GoLemon, a Nigerian grocery delivery startup, to supply groceries to its dark stores—retail outlets designed exclusively to fulfil online orders—and offer customers same-day grocery delivery through the Chowdeck app. 

“You can’t build the largest marketplace without tapping into everything else,” Onafeko added. “Glovo is already very strongly positioned in this area, but we intend to double down… and remain deeply committed to our role in the Nigerian economy.”