By Abigail Mbah
The University of Lagos has picked Swoop as one of just two food delivery platforms allowed to operate under a new three-month pilot programme on campus. The initiative aims to improve student safety and rider accountability while keeping food delivery accessible and affordable for students.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the number of unregistered delivery riders entering the university grounds. University officials have linked the trend to risks around security, student welfare, and overall campus order.
Under the new arrangement, only registered and identifiable riders working through the approved platforms will be permitted to make deliveries on campus.
Swoop will coordinate closely with UNILAG’s security unit to verify and monitor participating riders. The company will also work with the Dean of Student Affairs to keep student welfare at the centre of the programme.
Demola Adesina, Swoop’s country manager and a UNILAG alumnus, welcomed the selection. “The university has been very clear that student safety and security are the priority, and we share that responsibility,” he said.
“Having studied at UNILAG myself, I’m deeply invested in creating a solution that makes our campus safer and more convenient. Our focus is to ensure that every Swoop rider operating on campus is properly registered, identifiable and accountable, while giving students continued access to convenient and affordable food delivery.”
Students using the platform will see delivery and service charges upfront before confirming an order and can track deliveries in real time from the restaurant to their location.
Swoop’s model allows riders to keep 100 percent of their delivery fees. Merchants pay lower platform fees than is common in the sector, which the company says helps restaurants retain more of their revenue and reach customers outside their immediate areas.
Adesina added that the pilot offers a chance to show that convenience and accountability can work together. “Safety and convenience should go hand in hand,” he said.
“This pilot gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that food delivery can be convenient and affordable while still meeting the high standards of accountability expected within a university community.”
The three-month trial will give the university a practical way to test a managed delivery system and decide on longer-term arrangements.