Industry leaders across Nigeria’s logistics, fintech, food, and retail sectors recently gathered in Lagos for the second edition of the Glovo Future of Commerce Summit, where founders, operators, business executives, and ecosystem players explored how technology, infrastructure, consumer behavior, and operational efficiency are reshaping commerce in one of Africa’s fastest-evolving digital economies.
Delivering the keynote address, Reni Onafeko, General Manager of Glovo Nigeria, described Nigeria’s commerce landscape as one of the continent’s biggest untapped digital opportunities, pointing to the significant gap between consumer spending and online adoption.
“In a country where over half of income is spent on food, only 1% of that happens online,” Onafeko said. “For us, that gap is the opportunity.”
According to her, the future of commerce in Nigeria will depend on how quickly businesses transition into an online-first economy capable of meeting evolving consumer expectations around speed, convenience, and accessibility.
“We are on a mission to build the largest marketplace in every city we operate in,” she added. “We are the middle layer connecting brands and partners to customers.”
Onafeko also revealed that Nigeria emerged as Glovo’s fastest-growing market globally in 2025, highlighting the country’s growing importance within the company’s broader expansion strategy. She noted that Glovo’s operations across 22 countries and more than 1,800 cities provide valuable insights into what helps commerce ecosystems scale successfully across different markets.
One of the summit’s standout conversations, Winning the Nigerian Consumer in the New Digital Era, explored how brands are adapting to rapidly changing consumer expectations and digital behaviors. The fireside chat featured Joshua Chibueze, Co-founder and CMO of PiggyVest, alongside Oyindamola De-Medeiros, General Manager, E-commerce at Chicken Republic, who discussed the growing importance of convenience, trust, user experience, and digital engagement in retaining today’s Nigerian consumer.
Another major session, Powering Commerce: The Systems, the Infrastructure and the In-Between, focused on the operational backbone required to support commerce growth at scale. The panel featured industry leaders including Sabestine Osika, CEO of GIG Logistics; Opeyemi Oyinloye, Group COO at Paga Group; and Olakunle Ogungbamila, Co-founder of ORDA Africa, who examined the challenges and opportunities shaping Nigeria’s commerce infrastructure, from payments and logistics to merchant enablement and operational efficiency.
The summit also featured a conversation between Omotola Spence, Expansion Lead at Glovo Nigeria, and Dima Rasnovsky, Regional General Manager, Africa at Glovo, who shared insights into the company’s broader vision for commerce across the continent.
The discussion explored Africa’s growing relevance within the global digital economy, the evolving role of quick commerce, and why companies are increasingly looking beyond traditional market conditions to invest in high-growth ecosystems like Nigeria. Rasnovsky also spoke about the importance of localisation, operational adaptability, and building platforms that respond to the realities of African consumers and businesses.
Beyond platform growth, Onafeko highlighted Glovo’s broader focus on supporting SMEs through initiatives such as SME academies designed to help merchants strengthen their digital capabilities and grow within the evolving commerce landscape.
Closing the summit, she emphasized that the long-term opportunity lies not just in delivery, but in helping businesses participate more effectively in an increasingly digital economy.
“The future of commerce in Africa will be shaped by businesses that can adapt, scale, and meet consumers where they are,” Onafeko said. “For us, the real opportunity is creating access, visibility, and growth opportunities for businesses across Nigeria.”
Launched in 2025, the Future of Commerce Summit is Glovo’s flagship initiative for bringing together business leaders, operators, policymakers, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of digital commerce in Africa. Through conversations spanning technology, infrastructure, consumer behavior, and business growth, the summit aims to drive collaboration and unlock new pathways for innovation across the continent’s evolving commerce landscape.
