Adhering To Safety Guidelines By Adopting Digital Services Such As Food Delivery

Opinion

By Ayomide Oriade

The second wave of the covid-19 led by the more deadly variants of the virus is a serious cause of concern for authorities across the globe. Though vaccines have been devised for curing covid-19 infections, prevention is still recommended as the best antidote to the virus. Hence, individuals are urged to adhere strictly to preventive measures to limit spread.

In Nigeria, business activities are still encouraged by the government to keep the economy afloat as the country could not afford the economic implications of a total lockdown. To keep this window of activities open, Nigerians need to keep to safety measures. One of the ways to avoid crowded places and risk of transmission is to embrace digital services that help keep up with daily needs without physical contact.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online food delivery is rising significantly as a result of the lockdown and social distancing guidelines. Consumers who embrace the growing trend can continue to stay safe with comfort and convenience while shopping for food and other essentials for daily upkeep.

Food is essential to survival, and the growing trend of foodservice delivery will help limit the speed of transmission. To help widen the online food delivery experience and promote safety in these times, online retails stores are partnering with restaurants to make local intercontinental dishes available to customers. Fast food brands like The place, Chicken Republic, Sooyah Bistro, Sweet Sensation, Drum Stick and others are making their services available for order and delivery on the Jumia platform. KFC, Cold Stone as well as Pizza Hut are also available for order.

Likewise, groceries and beverage products are not left out. Renowned beverage producers such as Nestle are making their products available on the Jumia platform. With Jumia Food, groceries are also available for order and safe delivery through the contactless delivery option for customers who want to subscribe to the service.

According to Jumia Nigeria CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi, online shopping will help promote the adoption of social distancing measures and eliminate the contact risk associated with brick and mortar stores, as people can purchase different products of their choice and get them delivered from the safety of their home.

“Covid-19 pandemic is showing the importance of online marketplace and why it should be part of people’s lifestyle at this time. As the world battles with the realities of the second wave of the virus, people are being urged to avoid large gatherings, limit human contact as much as possible and observe strict hygiene practice. And it is becoming increasingly obvious that online shopping remains one of the ways individuals can take precautions to limit the spread.”

To further drive the growth of online food and beverage delivery in the country, Jumia recently extended its food delivery services to more states in Nigeria. The new cities on the Jumia Food map include Minna, Benin City, Kaduna, Abeokuta, Kano, and Ilorin. For a better customer food delivery experience, Jumia also recorded a major service improvement in its existing footprints in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Ibadan by increasing its speed of delivery, with an average delivery time as fast as 26 minutes in Port Harcourt, 27 minutes in Lagos, 28 minutes in Ibadan, and 30 minutes in Abuja.

*Ayomide Oriade of PR Redline writes from Lagos.