Grocery e-commerce startup serves Nigerians in America

Nigerians are one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the US, more than doubling in size since 2000 to nearly 400,000 people today. The American dream is alive and well for this fast growing community. Nigerians in the US are more than twice as likely to earn advanced degrees and 15 per cent more likely to be employed than the US population.

But they face a problem that most Americans don’t: grocery shopping. Nigerians prefer eating their cuisine to others available in the US, but Nigerian staples are hard to find. African stores, which cater to multiple African nationalities have struggled to support the increased demand for speciality Nigerian products. These stores are generally on the outskirts of major cities. For the 65 per cent of Nigerians living in those cities, the store locations are often inconvenient. Nigerians who live outside of metro areas have to travel hours for their groceries.

NigerianFoods.com was started to solve this problem. The grocery e-commerce platform delivers the widest selection of Nigerian ingredients in the US (over 180 products), so Nigerians can enjoy the taste of home without hassle. The platform carries egusi seeds, suya seasoning, kilishi and hundreds of other Nigerian speciality items. The platform’s blog MyJollof has rich content - ranging from food articles about Tiwa Savage’s latest diet to high definition recipe videos on how to make egusi soup - the platform also provides new ways for Nigerians to engage with their food and identity.