Femi Aluko: From Akesan to Building One of Nigeria's Fastest-Growing Food Delivery Startups

Some of Nigeria's most interesting entrepreneurial stories begin far away from the boardrooms of major companies and the excitement of the country's technology hubs. For Femi Aluko, the journey began in Akesan, a community in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, long before he became one of the young technology entrepreneurs making a mark on Nigeria's food delivery industry.

Born on March 31, 1993, Aluko developed an interest in engineering and technology that would eventually shape his professional journey. His academic determination became evident at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He graduated in 2015 with top honours, earning recognition as the department's best graduating student in the Telecommunications option. His academic achievement provided an early indication of the technical discipline and problem-solving ability that would become important throughout his career.

After graduating, Aluko began building his professional experience through engineering and software development roles at different companies, including Toptech Engineering, Softblue Nigeria, Hutbay and Shopping Internet Services. These experiences exposed him to different aspects of technology, software development and digital systems. However, one of the most defining chapters of his career began in 2017 when he joined Paystack as its fifth engineer.

At Paystack, Aluko became the company's first Core Payments Engineer and eventually rose to the position of Principal Engineer. His work contributed to the development and scaling of payment infrastructure that helped businesses process transactions more efficiently. Working in an environment focused on solving practical business challenges through technology also gave him valuable experience in building products that could serve a growing market. It was an important foundation for the entrepreneurial journey that would follow.

In October 2021, Aluko took another significant step by co-founding Chowdeck alongside Olumide Ojo and Lanre Yusuf, who serve as the company's Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer respectively. The idea was inspired partly by a seamless food delivery experience he encountered in Dubai. Rather than simply admiring the convenience of the service, he saw an opportunity to build something similar for Nigerian consumers while addressing the difficulties associated with ordering and receiving food in the country.

The idea behind Chowdeck was straightforward but ambitious: make ordering food easier, improve delivery reliability and help restaurants reach more customers. At the time, food delivery in Nigeria faced several challenges, including inconsistent delivery times, logistics difficulties and the need for better coordination between restaurants, customers and delivery riders. Chowdeck entered the market with an approach centred on technology, operational efficiency and customer experience.

The company's early growth suggested that it had identified a genuine market need. Within its first six months, Chowdeck reportedly completed more than 80,000 food deliveries. It continued expanding its restaurant partnerships and delivery network, creating opportunities for food businesses to serve customers beyond their immediate locations. By October 2024, the company had surpassed ₦30 billion in cumulative delivery value and attracted more than one million registered users. These milestones reflected the growing acceptance of digital food ordering among Nigerian consumers.

Chowdeck's progress also attracted the attention of international investors. In May 2024, the company raised $2.5 million in seed funding from investors including Y Combinator, Goodwater Capital, FoundersX Ventures and other investment firms. The funding provided additional resources for expansion, technology development and strengthening its operations. Its partnerships with established businesses, including Chicken Republic and Shoprite, further demonstrated its ambition to become an important part of Nigeria's food and retail delivery ecosystem.

Beyond the company's growth figures, Aluko's entrepreneurial journey offers an interesting perspective on how technical knowledge can be transformed into a business solution. His experience at Paystack gave him an understanding of building technology for large-scale operations, while his work at Chowdeck demonstrates the importance of applying that knowledge to everyday problems. Food delivery might appear simple from the customer's perspective, but making it work consistently requires coordination, logistics, technology and a strong understanding of consumer behaviour.

His achievements have also received recognition within Nigeria's technology and business communities. In 2024, Aluko received the Technology Award at The Future Awards Africa, recognising his contribution to innovation through Chowdeck. He was also featured on Nigerian CEO Magazine's 40 Under 40 CEOs list, further establishing his profile among the country's emerging business leaders.

For young Nigerians interested in technology and entrepreneurship, Aluko's story carries an important lesson: building a successful business does not always require inventing something entirely new. Sometimes, the opportunity lies in identifying an existing problem, understanding why previous solutions have struggled and developing a better way to address it. His journey from engineering classrooms at Obafemi Awolowo University to building a technology-driven food delivery company illustrates how technical expertise, practical thinking and entrepreneurial courage can come together to create something valuable.

Today, Femi Aluko's story is closely connected to the growth of Chowdeck and the changing relationship between technology, commerce and everyday life in Nigeria. From his beginnings in Akesan to his experience helping build payment infrastructure at Paystack and eventually co-founding a fast-growing delivery platform, his journey reflects the possibilities that emerge when local problems are approached with ambition and a commitment to finding practical solutions.