Gokada expands into Ibadan; resumes ride-hailing

September 29, 2021: Gokada has launched in Ibadan following consolidated growth in Lagos. Following the recent successful launch of its Super App and as part of its expansion strategy, the company is rolling out operations in Ibadan across its food delivery (GFood) and logistics services (GSend), with plans to resume ride-hailing (GRide) and e-commerce (GShop) later in the year.

As one of Nigeria’s crucial commercial centres with close proximity to Lagos, Ibadan offers significant demand for Gokada’s unmatched last-mile delivery services. The move will generate thousands of jobs for riders who can now serve the thousands of businesses that require access to a seamless last-mile logistics network in the city. The expansion into Ibadan will also allow Gokada to build on its surging numbers of G-partners, which is a popular initiative to bring additional riders on board who already own their own bikes, in addition to Gokada’s existing G-pilots. 

Commenting on the launch, Nikhil Goel, CEO of Gokada, said, “Since launching just a few months ago, the Gokada Super App has connected thousands of customers and businesses in Lagos and we are excited to bring our unparalleled service to Ibadan. We want to continue catalysing the transformation of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure through our ultra-reliable last-mile delivery solutions; and it is essential to have a solid foundation, particularly with our ever-improving technology, before deploying in a new location.” 

Having established a strong track record in Lagos, completing more than 1.5 million deliveries on behalf of 30,000 merchants, Gokada is focused on replicating its success in Ibadan. The company has onboarded more than 100 restaurants that can now offer delivery to their customers through the Gokada GFood menu in its Super App. Once the Super App is successfully deployed in a second city, Gokada will begin planning for further hubs in Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Ogun. This additional growth is being driven by Nigeria’s ecommerce and last-mile logistics sector which is growing at 11 percent per year, boosted by recent changes in shopper behaviour and demand for last-mile delivery. 

In the coming months, Gokada’s license with NIPOST will enable its fleet to fulfill a cross-country logistics service, linking delivery between Lagos and Ibadan via a Super App for the first time. This opens up opportunities for merchants in both cities to expand their customer bases and tap into new areas of growth. 

“We built the largest fleet of delivery riders in Lagos, and we want to do the same here in Ibadan, and offer so much more,” added Goel. “Now we have reached a juncture where we can move forward with a rigorous expansion strategy that will potentially create entrepreneurial opportunities for thousands of riders to run their own ‘businesses in a box’. The changing business landscape of commerce requires reliable tech-enabled solutions, and while Gokada has come a long way in being part of the change, we’re focussed on further growth across the country.” 

Since rolling out the Super App, available on Android and iOS, Gokada has recorded over 100,000 downloads and expects this growth to continue as they expand into some of Nigeria’s key cities, providing the same reliable and seamless service for thousands of more customers.