Nigerian food delivery platform Chowdeck has crossed one million customer orders in a single month, cementing its position as one of West Africa’s fastest-growing digital delivery services.
The milestone, achieved in October, marks a new growth phase for the YC-backed startup, which has rapidly expanded across major Nigerian cities and into Ghana since its launch in 2021.
Chowdeck’s CEO and Co-founder, Femi Aluko, announced the record in a post on X, noting that the company’s daily orders have climbed from about 30,000 to over 40,000 in recent weeks. The platform now serves more than 1.5 million users and facilitates tens of thousands of deliveries each day across cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and others.
From a small operation that started with a little over 300 users in its first month, Chowdeck has evolved into a sizeable logistics and commerce network. The company now works with over 20,000 riders across 11 cities in Nigeria and Ghana, connecting customers not only to restaurant meals but also to everyday essentials and groceries.
Demand has surged alongside a broader shift in consumer behaviour. Rising smartphone adoption, longer working hours, and a growing preference for convenience among urban, working-class Africans have all contributed to increased reliance on delivery platforms. In 2024, the value of meals delivered through Chowdeck grew sixfold compared to the previous year, and the company has already surpassed its entire 2024 volume in 2025.
Chowdeck’s growth is particularly notable in a market where several international players have struggled. Global and regional platforms such as Jumia Food and Bolt Food exited the Nigerian food delivery space in 2023, citing rising costs, infrastructure challenges, and weak margins. Chowdeck, by contrast, has leaned into local realities, building its model around affordable, popular local meals such as jollof rice and other everyday dishes, rather than focusing primarily on international fast-food chains.
The company has also moved beyond being just a delivery marketplace to become a deeper partner to restaurants and retailers. In June 2025, Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale and restaurant management startup founded by former staff of Flutterwave and Paystack. The deal brought payment processing, inventory management, and merchant financing tools into its ecosystem, strengthening its position as a full-stack service provider for vendors.
Two months later, Chowdeck raised $9 million in Series A funding led by Novastar Ventures. The capital is being deployed to support an ambitious shift into quick commerce, with the company aiming to deliver a wider range of products at faster speeds across Nigeria and Ghana.
Despite its rapid rise, Chowdeck has not been without challenges. The recent spike in order volumes has led to customer complaints about delays and support response times. Aluko has publicly acknowledged the pressure on operations, saying the team is “listening, learning, and fixing things quickly” as it upgrades processes and technology to keep pace with demand.
The one-million-order milestone underscores more than the company’s growth; it reflects the broader evolution of Nigeria’s digital economy. Local startups are showing they can build and scale services that meet everyday needs in a tough operating environment marked by high costs, infrastructure gaps, and economic uncertainty.
For restaurants, platforms like Chowdeck offer increased visibility and a more predictable flow of orders. For riders, higher volumes translate into more earning opportunities. And for consumers, the platform’s growth signals greater trust in local tech brands, digital payments, and on-demand services.
As competition from global streaming and digital platforms reshapes how Africans access entertainment, food, and services, Chowdeck’s trajectory highlights the potential for homegrown companies to define new standards for convenience. The company’s next phase will focus on strengthening operations, improving delivery times, expanding coverage, and maintaining affordability as its user base grows.
For Aluko and his team, the one million monthly orders are a landmark—but not a finish line. As he put it, for Chowdeck, “it’s still Day 1.”
