Global food delivery and courier company Glovo has launched the Glovo Academy in Abuja, a new initiative designed to support small businesses and strengthen Nigeria’s rapidly expanding micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
Speaking at the launch, Kolawole Adeniyi, Head of Commercial at Glovo Nigeria, said the company was deepening its investment in Africa with a deliberate focus on empowering smaller businesses. He explained that Glovo, which was founded in 2015 and entered Africa in 2018, had already invested €206 million across six African countries, including Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda.
According to him, the continent had generated more than €1 billion for over 40,000 business partners, with the majority being SMEs. “In Africa, we have 60,000 riders who rely on us for sustenance, and our partners have earned more than €1bn since we launched here,” Adeniyi said. “What is critical is that we don’t just support big businesses.”
He emphasised that over 90 per cent of Glovo’s partners across Africa are SMEs, and in Nigeria, the number is even higher at about 95 per cent. “That shows the level of impact we’re making on the grassroots economy,” he added.
Adeniyi noted that in Nigeria alone, Glovo had delivered about N55 billion in value to its partners since its 2021 entry into the market, with more than 5,000 businesses and 12,000 riders benefiting from the platform.
“Most global companies come to Africa to extract as much as they can. We have taken a different approach by putting sFignificant resources back into the continent without expecting immediate returns. Nigeria represents one of the biggest opportunities globally due to its growing youth population and market size.”
Kolawole Adeniyi, Head of Commercial at Glovo Nigeria
Abuja Expansion Highlights Glovo’s Growth
Reni Onafeko, Head of Growth and Head of Abuja Business at Glovo Nigeria, highlighted the company’s rapid expansion in the capital city. “Abuja is one of our focus communities and we have delivered about two million orders,” she said.
“More than 1,000 partners have come on board in Abuja alone, while over 2,000 riders have earned income through Glovo. This shows how fast the business is growing and how much value is being transferred to local partners.”
Reni Onafeko, Head of Growth and Head of Abuja Business at Glovo Nigeria
She explained that the launch of the Glovo Academy was aimed at building skills and promoting sustainable growth for small businesses, which make up the majority of Glovo’s ecosystem in Nigeria. “Every partner we work with contributes to the Nigerian economy. Initiatives like this academy will help us scale sustainably while adding more value to the economy,” Onafeko added.
With Nigeria ranking among Glovo’s fastest-growing markets worldwide, the company expects the country to soon rival its largest markets in Spain and Italy.
At the launch event in Abuja, panellists from government and the private sector stressed that micro, small, and medium enterprises must remain central to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
SMEs Described As Nigeria’s Backbone
Ifeoma Williams, Senior Special Adviser on Strategic Communications to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, described SMEs as the “backbone” of Nigeria’s economy and critical to its development ambitions. “According to SMEDAN data, Nigeria has over 39 million SMEs, contributing at least 40 per cent to GDP and creating more than 80 per cent of jobs,” she said. “There is no economy without SMEs. They are the lifeblood of Nigeria’s growth.”
Williams identified digital commerce, agribusiness, the creative industries, and renewable energy as sectors most likely to drive Nigeria’s economic growth in the coming decade. She also underlined that the government’s responsibility was to enable rather than compete with entrepreneurs. “For the first time in more than 30 years, Nigeria now has an industrial policy, validated last month and set to be unveiled at the NESG Summit,” she revealed.
“The government also provides affordable financing, including a N75bn facility for MSMEs at single-digit interest, but many entrepreneurs cannot access it because their structures and paperwork are not in order. If you are serious about business, you must get your framework right.”
Ifeoma Williams, Senior Special Adviser on Strategic Communications to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment
The panel concluded that while Nigeria’s 39 million SMEs face major challenges, sustained investment, smarter policies, easier access to financing, and greater digital adoption will be vital for ensuring their role in job creation and inclusive economic growth.
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