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SUPPLY CHAIN
New automated safe locker network a boost for Nigerian e-commerce
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024
Nigeria’s last-mile distribution problems have long hampered customer deliveries. New high-tech lockers may help solve that.
Fez Delivery, a Nigerian-based logistics business specialising in last-mile delivery to consumers, has launched a network of high-tech lockers that it says will provide a cost-effective and secure delivery solution.
The lockers are being sited in safe, high-footfall areas such as service stations. For a price of 999 naira (around US$1.15), businesses and individuals can send and receive parcels in Lagos and, in future, in other key locations.
Photo supplied
This service will be of particular benefit to e-commerce businesses and their customers, given that efficient last-mile delivery to online shoppers is often problematic in Nigeria.
“Despite e-commerce growth, last-mile logistics is plagued with problems like poor infrastructure and road networks, regulatory issues, and untrustworthy logistics providers,” explains the publication TechCabal.
“These problems make it difficult for businesses to fully take advantage of the opportunities in e-commerce.”
Now a Nigerian online vendor – on Instagram or TikTok, for example – can fulfil an urgent same-day order by dropping the order at a Fez locker, which the customer can retrieve at their convenience by using a one-time OTP password to open the locker. Fez says additional security is provided at the locker locations by CCTV, which is monitored in real time.
A delivery ecosystem that benefits everyone
“Our lockers are more than just lockers; they’re an investment in Nigeria’s future. By modernising logistics and promoting sustainability, we’re building a delivery ecosystem that benefits everyone,” states Seun Alley, CEO and co-founder of Fez Delivery.
“We’re redefining last-mile delivery – putting convenience, security, and efficiency at the heart of every interaction.
“By seamlessly connecting to the internet, these lockers empower our customers with 24-hour access, transforming the delivery experience into one that aligns with the pace of our connected world.”
Earlier this month, Fez launched its locker network in Nigeria during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ardova filling station on Admiralty Way in Lagos. This is one of three current locations in the city.
The ‘Future of Commerce – 2023 Trends Report’, compiled by TechCabal, estimates that Nigeria has 90.9-million e-commerce users, and predicts that total e-commerce customers in Africa will surpass 500-million by 2025.
Automated lockers are already a feature of last-mile delivery in countries such as South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. But up until now they have not been a part of the Nigerian supply chain landscape.
According to Trendtype, the London-based emerging markets consultancy, Fez Delivery was founded in 2020 as a last-mile delivery platform. In March 2023 it secured seed funding of US$1-million. In November 2023 it launched a UK delivery hub and a fleet of electric delivery bikes.
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