From Lockdown Wahala to Food Hero: The JekaEat Story, 4 Years Of Existence.

Four years ago, amidst the chaos of lockdown,? curfews & the gbasgbo of Lagos protest and detective fashola, a small business in Lagos underwent a remarkable transformation, birthing what we now know as JekaEat.

What began as a modest venture in general logistics evolved into a dynamic food logistics and delivery startup doing well in the north central with focus on expansion to southern Nigeria, all thanks to a timely pivot.

As Lagos grappled with uncertainty, JekaEat rose to the occasion of solving real problems, kickstarting its journey in March 2020 with a bold move, delivering fresh farm agricultural produce, starting with rice sourced from Gombe to the School of Maritime Technology (VI, Lagos) via Ijora. It was a leap of faith, with Abdraheem Balogun of Salsabille leading the charge as our first farm vendor. JekaEat model then, was a pre-order, pay before delivery.

?This marked the beginning of our mission to bridge the gap between Northern Nigeria agricultural abundance by providing food delivery services and Southern Nigeria meal cravings at an affordable cost to plan their next meal.

In the midst of this entrepreneurial journey, I, Sodiq Olamilekan Isiaq, demonstrated adaptability and resilience by pivoting Achieversvilla into an agile agricultural produce & food logistics and delivery startup. During the lockdown, we met urgent demands by delivering 20 bags of rice across Lagos, igniting a spark that fuelled our journey of growth and innovation. Yakub Abubakar and I, delivered the first set of MVPs, and thereafter, I proceeded to build the first e-commerce (WP) of the company which serves as the first technology to further tests for market gap and validation for food accessibility and sustainability across other states of which we have high interest of customers who wanted to order.

In February 2021, JekaEat expanded its reach with the launch of JekaEat Minna a food logistics platform catering to the North Central region, implementing strategic partnerships with few restaurants,? leveraging WhatsApp for personalised service in Minna city.

Our journey was not without its challenges, but with every obstacle came an opportunity for growth.

Through strategic partnerships and unwavering dedication, we scaled from humble beginnings to a thriving (bootstrapping) startup, with invaluable contributions from individuals like Alley Soliu who joined as a technical person Feb 2023 via Dr. Engr Folorunsho recommendation and advice for collaboration, of who helped propel JekaEat to another scale with his skill.

Despite facing challenges in an underdeveloped market, we persevered, working tirelessly to earn the trust and loyalty of our customers.

JekaEat scaled from me doing the legwork of delivering food to working with one abdrahman as our delivery rider as recommended by Tunde Adetola and thereafter, a partnership with aliyu bago who I met in Minna, and later to a bike collaboration with one samu muhammed of one acre funds before he defaulted his part of the agreement with I and Jojo ( I was leg working, delivering food while jojo was using our bike in town, delivering conveniences to customer doorstep.

It was a tough time serving the market in Minna because of the community perception of start up subjected to untimely death.

One factor,? the poor mentality of the residents to new innovations and another Minna is an underdeveloped region with low market audiences, the narratives is changing today as the city is undergoing rapid urban renewal development by HE Farmer Bago and his cabinets of ministers.

Today, as we celebrate four years of innovation and progress, I am humbled by the role JekaEat has played in my personal and professional growth. From navigating the complexities of logistics to spearheading product management and other substantial projects in the digital space, every step of my journey has been a testament to my commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction at JekaEat.

To Our Early Product Adopters:

Thanks to Hinzu, Abdmalik Abdullah the current president of cybersecurity and his friends, they have been our number 1 user from the crude age till now, Guys, if you are reading this, I love you and JekaEat loves you more.

With you guys as the early adopters in Minna, I have? documented features for future improvement, of which some are in the production phase and the app that includes such improved features must have been released as at when you are reading this article.

As I transition into the role of Project Lead and focusing on scaling up the company, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities that JekaEat has afforded me and excitement for the future that lies ahead.

With a heart full of love and a spirit of innovation, I am eager to continue building products and projects that make the world a better place.

Join us on this extraordinary journey with JekaEat, where every meal is a story of resilience, innovation, and hope.

And my sincere appreciation to the supporting bros I have saka twins, Muhammad Olabode, Umar and lot of you super amazing bros, thank you for your support for JekaEat, the flyers sharing, pasting and street advert runs, Nagode and my roommates, the atanda twins for word of advice, Thanks.

Together, let's create a brighter future filled with delicious food and endless possibilities.

Cheers to building more successful products and projects that makes the world ??a better place.

With love and Innovation ??from Sodiq Olamilekan Isiaq - PM & Project Lead at JekaEat.

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