Gokada

Gokada is a tech startup based in Lagos, Nigeria.[1][2] The startup launched as a ride-hailing company in 2017, before diversifying into Logistics and Food Delivery in 2020[3][4] after a ban on commercial motorcycles by the Government of Lagos State.[5]

Gokada
TypeTech
IndustryLogistics & Food Delivery
Founded2017
FounderFahim Saleh, Deji Oduntan
HeadquartersLagos State,
Nigeria
ServicesLogistics & Food Delivery
Websitewww.gokada.ng

History

Gokada was co-founded by the late Fahim Saleh and Deji Oduntan in 2017,[6][7][8] as a bike-hailing company. Before launching Gokada in Nigeria, Late Fahim Saleh, had founded Pathao in 2013,[9][10] a popular ride company based in Bangladesh. He moved to Lagos in 2017, working with the help of his co-founder, Deji Oduntan, to launch Gokada.[11] In March 2019, the late Fahim Saleh took over as the CEO of Gokada, after his co-founder Deji stepped down from the role.[10] The company also raised a Series A funding of $5.3 million in 2019, having acquired approximately 1,000 motorcycles and completed nearly 1,000,000 rides.[12][13]

Ban of Okada in Lagos State

In January 2020, the Lagos State State Government announced a ban on commercial motorcycles,[14][15] which also affected Gokada and other motorcycle ride-hailing companies operating in Lagos State.[8][16][17][18][19] As a result of the ban, Gokada had to lay off about 80% of its workforce Gokada Go!.[20][21][22] Late Fahim Saleh had said in a statement that Gokada was about to enter into profit before the ban by the Lagos State Government was announced.[4]

Diversifying into Logistics and Food Delivery

The ban on Motorcycles by the Lagos State Government had an exemption for dispatch riders.[23][24] In February 2020, Gokada took advantage of this exemption and announced that it was diversifying into package delivery using its existing motorcycles and riders.[4][25][26][27] In the same month, Gokada was reported to have partnered with Jumia Food on food deliveries, while it worked on launching its own platform.[28] Later in 2020, Gokada would launch Gshop, its own food delivery service by partnering with restaurants to deliver food to its users on their platform.[29][1][30]

In June 2021, Gokada announced that it had surpassed $100,000,000 (100 million USD) in annual transaction value and had completed over 1 million food delivery and ecommerce orders for over 30,000 merchants in 12 months.[1][31][32][33]

Death of CEO

On the 15th of July, 2020, the death of the CEO of Gokada, late Fahim Saleh was announced. He was found dead in his New York Apartment by the Police on the 14th of July, 2020, murdered by multiple stabbed wounds.[34][35][36][37] On the 17th of July, late Fahim's Personal Assistant, Tyrese Haspil, was arrested and charged with the murder of the late CEO. He was alleged to have owed Fahim tens of thousands of dollars.[38][39][40]

New CEO Appointed

After the death of Fahim Saleh, Gokada appointed Nikhil Goel as the new CEO in March 2021.[41][42] He had been leading the Gokada team since death of Fahim. Before joining Gokada, Goel was the General Manager of Zomato, an online food delivery startup based in India and the former head of Head of Verticals at SafeBoda in Kenya.[42][43]

Launch of Super App

In 2021 Gokada launched its Super App, which allows its customers access its food delivery, Ecommerce, ride-hailing and logistics services on the same App platform. Before the Super App, Gokada had a separate App for its logistics (GSend) and its food delivery (GShop) services. The tech startup made the decision to combine its services in one Super App after it said its users requested that they put all the services on one platform.[1][30][44]

Relaunch of Ride-hailing Services

With the launch of the Super App also came the relaunch its ride hailing services after it expanded to two states in Nigeria; Oyo State and Ogun State. The two states do not have a ban in place against commercial motorcycles.[45][1][46][47]

References
  1. "Gokada to launch ride-hailing service in two Nigerian cities as part of super app plans".
  2. "Bike-Hailing Startup Turns to Food Delivery After Ban in Lagos". Bloomberg.com. June 2021.
  3. says, Waheed Lawal (February 13, 2020). "Gokada pivots into food delivery service".
  4. "Gokada to rebrand as delivery company -- after Lagos okada ban". TheCable. February 7, 2020.
  5. "Lagos bans Gokada, ORide, others from 15 local governments". January 27, 2020.
  6. "AI in the Field of Transportation - a Review". AI Daily - Artificial Intelligence News.
  7. "Startup Profile: Escape Lagos Traffic with Gokada, the Uber of Okada Riders". June 8, 2018.
  8. "Fahim Saleh's Nigerian venture Gokada was hit hard by new regulations". Dhaka Tribune. July 15, 2020.
  9. "Motorbike taxi firms rev up for race into West Africa". Reuters. June 12, 2019 – via www.reuters.com.
  10. Ekwealor, Victor (April 1, 2019). "Gokada co-founder, Fahim Saleh takes over as new CEO".
  11. Kene-Okafor, Tage (July 15, 2020). "Gokada CEO, Fahim Saleh, passes on".
  12. "Gokada raises $5.3m to increase daily rides by 1,000 percent". TheCable. May 24, 2019.
  13. "Nigeria's motorcycle transport startup Gokada secures $5.3 million in Series A Funding". May 24, 2019.
  14. "LAGOS BANS OKADA, TRICYCLES IN 15 LOCAL COUNCILS".
  15. www.theguardiannewspaper.com http://www.theguardiannewspaper.com/. Retrieved 2022-11-10. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. "The multifaceted implications of a ban on Okada and tricycles in Lagos". February 14, 2020.
  17. Paul, Emmanuel (February 4, 2020). "Lagos Okada Ban: A policy expert walks us through some burning questions".
  18. "BREAKING: ORide, MAX.ng, Gokada and others banned from major areas in Lagos". January 27, 2020.
  19. Kazeem, Yomi. "Lagos has banned its most effective methods of transport—including bike-hailing startups". Quartz.
  20. "Gokada Reportedly Lays Off 80% Of Its Staff Following Okada Ban In Lagos". February 4, 2020.
  21. "TechCabal Daily - Okada ban aftermath: Lights dim at Gokada HQ". February 5, 2020.
  22. Kene-Okafor, Tage (February 3, 2020). "Motorcycle-hailing startup, Gokada lays off most of its workforce".
  23. "Dispatch Riders Exempted From Motorcycle Ban, Says Lagos Police". Sahara Reporters. February 3, 2020.
  24. "Lagos exempts security agents, dispatch riders, others from Okada ban". Vanguard News. February 3, 2020.
  25. "Gokada branches into delivery, boat services after okada ban". February 7, 2020.
  26. Udodiong, Inemesit (February 6, 2020). "After Lagos Okada ban, Gokada is branching into delivery and boat services". Pulse Nigeria.
  27. "Gokada is pivoting to delivery and boat services, here is what this means for them". February 5, 2020.
  28. "Gokada partners with Jumia on food deliveries". February 13, 2020.
  29. "Gokada churns out innovative solutions to impact logistics industry in Lagos". December 4, 2020.
  30. Giacomazzo, Bernadette (June 1, 2021). "Nigerian Tech Company Gokada Announces Plans Of A Super App". AfroTech.
  31. Akwaja, Chima (June 2, 2021). "Gokada Crosses $100m In Annualised Transaction Value".
  32. "Nigeria's Gokada launches super app, passes $100m in annualised transaction value". June 4, 2021.
  33. "Gokada launches Super App; crosses US$100 million in transactions". BENJAMIN DADA | Impressive reporting on tech in SSA. June 1, 2021.
  34. Kazeem, Yomi. "The American founder of a Nigerian bike-hailing startup has been gruesomely murdered in New York". Quartz.
  35. Nicole Chavez and Rob Frehse. "Gokada founder Fahim Saleh died of multiple stab wounds, medical examiner says". CNN.
  36. "Gokada app founder died of multiple stab wounds, NY medical examiner says". Reuters. July 16, 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
  37. "Gokada founder dead in New York apartment". African Business. July 15, 2020.
  38. "Fahim Saleh: Pathao and Gokada CEO's assistant charged with his murder". BBC News. July 17, 2020.
  39. Berger, Ben Chapman and Paul (July 17, 2020). "Tyrese Haspil Is Charged in Killing of Gokada CEO Fahim Saleh". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
  40. Slotnik, Daniel E. (July 17, 2020). "What We Know About the Killing of Tech C.E.O. Fahim Saleh". The New York Times.
  41. "Delivery firm Gokada appoints CEO after murder of founder". African Business. March 17, 2021.
  42. "Gokada appoints Nikhil Goel as new CEO". March 17, 2021.
  43. Kolawole, Oluwanifemi (March 17, 2021). "Gokada announces new CEO, Nikhil Goel".
  44. "Why food-on-demand can be Gokada's ticket to super app stardom". July 15, 2021.
  45. "Gokada expands service to Oyo, Ogun". Punch Newspapers. June 7, 2021.
  46. Adesanya, Adedapo (June 1, 2021). "Gokada to Resume Operations in Ogun, Oyo | Business Post Nigeria".
  47. "Gokada to take on Safeboda, set to launch bike-hailing service in Ibadan and Ogun". June 1, 2021.
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