LOOM Magazine

Femi Aluko Is Building Nigeria’s Fastest-Growing Food Delivery Network

is a standout example of Nigeria’s next-gen tech leader: a systems engineer turned fintech innovator turned foodtech founder.

He simply wanted to build systems that worked—ones that delivered value, convenience, and dignity at scale. But like most innovators, his vision evolved. After years at Paystack, where he engineered core infrastructure that powered tens of thousands of financial transactions daily,

Femi began to notice a gap—not in fintech, but in food. In 2021, he founded with a simple goal: to make high-quality, on-demand meal delivery accessible across Nigeria.

Within six months, Chowdeck had delivered over 80,000 meals. But that was just the beginning. By the end of 2024, the platform had crossed ₦30 billion in gross merchandise value, serving over a million users and expanding to eight cities. His team partnered with national food chains like Chicken Republic, achieving a staggering 90% success rate in delivering orders under 24 minutes.

But behind the logistics, the numbers, and the venture capital—$2.5 million in seed funding from Y Combinator and other top-tier investors—was a deeper motivation: to build a delivery ecosystem that works for everyone.

Today, Chowdeck empowers over 3,000 riders, many of whom between ₦100,000-200,000 month—more than three times Nigeria’s minimum wage. With this model, Femi is rewriting the script on what hospitality means: not just timely service, but economic uplift, dignity, and consistent experience.

Simileoluwa Adebajo’s Culinary Journey from Lagos to California

Meet , a Nigerian-American chef, entrepreneur, and cultural ambassador renowned for founding Èkó Kitchen—the first Nigerian restaurant in San Francisco and a significant presence in Los Angeles.

began as a weekend pop-up, sharing space with a Mexican eatery. Simi’s authentic dishes, from smoky asun to vibrant jollof rice, quickly garnered attention. By 2021, she expanded to Los Angeles, offering private dining experiences and participating in local markets.

She partnered with local vendors, but the heart of her kitchen pulsed with the voices of her mother and grandmothers. That’s what made the flavors unforgettable. It wasn’t just the blend of ingredients; it was the weight of tradition, love, and longing that came with them.

Beyond serving food, Simi is deeply committed to her community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she partnered with nonprofits like SF New Deal, distributing hot Nigerian meals to those in need. Her monthly food drives in San Francisco and Los Angeles continue this mission

Today, her restaurant hosts pop-up dinners, private events, and immersive food experiences that blend music, storytelling, and cuisine.

Simi’s efforts have been recognized by Bon Appétit, Eater, The Guardian, and more. Despite challenges—including a devastating fire in 2020—she has rebuilt and continued to share Nigerian culture through food.

Simi is also an ISSA Certified Nutrition Coach, a model, and an author. Her memoir, Sisi Èkó of San Francisco, details her journey, and her cookbook, From Èkó With Love, offers modern takes on Nigerian classics.

Through Eko Kitchen, Simi Adebajo not only brings Nigerian flavors to California but also builds bridges between cultures, demonstrating the power of food as a unifying force.

LOOM Picks 10 – June 2025 Edition
HOSPITALITY

Every month, LOOM Picks 10 celebrates ten outstanding across the globe who are shaping their industries with excellence, innovation, and resilience.

For June 2025, we turn the spotlight to a vibrant and vital industry: Hospitality.

From redefining luxury experiences to championing sustainable tourism and world-class service, these honorees are not just making their mark, they are setting new global standards as hospitality powerhouses whose stories deserve to be told.

Our Honorees these month are:

- Eko KItchen
abiola - Gidanka

- Chowdeck

- Hotel.ng

- Max.ng

Barbara Okereke-Ndugbu -

Bolarunwa Aje - Be~B Alafia Bread
amosu - ChopnBlok

Chika Madubuko -

Dr. Zainab Ahmad Sani- L’apip Pizzeria

We’re proud to celebrate them, and even prouder to share their journeys with the Instagram community and beyond.

Stay tuned as we unveil the LOOM Picks 10, Edition over the this month of June. Follow the stories. Share the pride.

LOOM Picks 10 – Celebrating Nigerian Excellence Across the Globe

June 2025: HOSPITALITY

We’re thrilled to unveil LOOM Picks 10, LOOM Magazine’s monthly honor roll spotlighting 10 exceptional Nigerians from around the world who are breaking boundaries, shaping industries, and inspiring the future.

For June 2025, we’re putting the spotlight on the Hospitality Industry. From chefs and hoteliers to travel curators and hospitality innovators, this edition will celebrate Nigerians who are redefining service, experience, and excellence across borders.

At LOOM, we believe in telling powerful stories of impact and influence. LOOM Picks 10 is our way of highlighting the faces behind the transformation and inviting the world to take notice.

Stay tuned as we reveal the names, stories, and journeys of these outstanding individuals throughout the month!

Dr. Imodoye Abioro’s Mission to Digitize African Healthcare

is a Nigerian medical doctor, health tech entrepreneur, and software developer reshaping the future of healthcare in Africa through groundbreaking digital innovation.

As co-founder of Healthbotics Ltd., Dr. Abioro leads a growing movement to close systemic healthcare gaps across the continent using practical, tech-enabled solutions. Under his leadership, the company has introduced cutting-edge platforms that now serve over 130 hospitals in Nigeria and beyond.

One of Healthbotics’ key innovations is , a digital infrastructure that connects hospitals to a network of over 30 blood banks per city, ensuring that life-saving blood can be sourced quickly and reliably. Initially developed as a youth-centered blood donation app, the platform has since evolved into a real-time logistics and emergency response system—complete with a 24/7 call center—that helps close Nigeria’s 350,000-unit annual blood shortage.

Dr. Abioro further advanced the digitalization of healthcare in 2021 with the launch of , an AI-powered electronic health records (EHR) system built specifically for low-resource environments. Mediverse is uniquely designed to function offline and respond to voice inputs in local languages, offering an accessible and secure way to digitize patient records without the need for constant internet connectivity. The system uses blockchain technology to maintain data integrity and has already processed over 145,000 patient records across facilities in Nigeria and Haiti.

Dr. Abioro’s work is shifting perceptions about what’s possible in African healthcare. His ability to merge clinical understanding with technical ex*****on has earned international recognition. He was named a Young Innovator by the World Summit Awards in 2021, won the AI for Development Challenge in 2020, and received the Africa Digital Innovation Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2022.

Through Healthbotics, he continues to build tools that are accessible, adaptive, and deeply aligned with the unique realities of African healthcare systems.