When I dreamed of starting Fele Express, two things were clear in my mind: I wanted to solve a problem that had long been ignored and create a platform where people could earn decent income without the restrictions of full-time employment. That was the vision. But reality had its own script.
After investing nearly ₦7 million in building our mobile application, I quickly realized Makurdi wasn’t ready to adopt the model so easily. It was a tough pill to swallow. With that amount of money, I could have bought multiple motorcycles. But Fele Express was never meant to own and manage a fleet. The idea was always to create a decentralized network of independent partner riders and drivers — just like Bolt and Uber, but focused on logistics.
Fele Express was never just about delivery. It was about rewriting how logistics works in underserved cities like Makurdi
Faced with slow adoption, I had to adapt. I purchased five motorcycles to kickstart the company and get things moving. We officially began operations in March 2024. We were unknown, but we meant business. I leaned heavily into social media, Google ads, and influencers to push the Fele Express name out there. It worked.
From just five daily orders, we climbed to ten, fifteen, even thirty on a good day. It was modest, but it felt like progress. Just as we were entering our first growth phase, tragedy hit. One of our most reliable riders was involved in a devastating accident, sustaining multiple fractures. He spent the next six months in recovery. It was a crushing moment for the team.
We’re not just building a company. We’re building a movement — where technology meets grit.
We had to rebuild our fleet almost from scratch. But replacing the dependability and loyalty of our initial riders proved difficult. The momentum slowed. The last quarter of 2024 was particularly tough — some days we only managed three orders. But through it all, we stayed focused, fueled by the belief that better days were ahead.
Despite the challenges, we closed 2024 as Makurdi’s leading same-day delivery company, working with around nine businesses daily and building a small but loyal customer base. Yet, the irony was glaring: the app we spent so much to develop was abandoned. We had reverted to WhatsApp for operations, just like everyone else. So what made us different?
Professionalism.
Branded motorcycles. Trained riders. Uniforms and safety gear. We weren’t just delivering items; we were delivering trust, identity, and a standard that others were now trying to emulate.
While the app didn’t become the operational backbone we envisioned, it birthed something promising — an API integration feature that allows other mobile apps, especially e-commerce platforms, to link directly with Fele Express. Orders from these platforms are processed instantly and pushed to our riders. This innovation is already in use by MealTrips and Reliable Shopping App — a small step that could become a giant leap.
Our long-term dream is to be the logistics engine behind every online transaction in Benue and beyond.
The start of 2025 felt like a dream. Orders surged, and we were finally tasting the growth we had fought so hard for — touching nearly 30 orders in a single day. But success brought its own issues: a shortage of reliable riders, aging bikes, and operational fatigue.
Still, we pushed on. Every obstacle — from financial losses to human resource challenges — became just another wall to climb.
Looking Ahead: The Dream of Fele Express
Fele Express was never just about delivery. It was about rewriting how logistics works in underserved cities like Makurdi. The long-term dream is to build a smart, scalable delivery infrastructure that empowers everyday people — turning anyone with a motorcycle or car into a logistics partner.
We envision a future where Fele Express becomes the backbone of local commerce — powering deliveries for restaurants, pharmacies, e-commerce stores, and everyday individuals with a tap of a button. Through continued innovation like our API integration, we aim to become the logistics engine behind every online transaction in Benue and beyond.
We’re not just building a company. We’re building a movement — a community-driven ecosystem where everyone benefits, where technology meets grit, and where local problems get local solutions.
Fele Express is still writing its story. And this is just the beginning.
Seeking Investors and Strategic Partners
To truly realize the vision of Fele Express, we know we can’t do it alone. We’re actively looking for investors and strategic partners who believe in the future of logistics in emerging cities like Makurdi — people and organizations who see what we see: a growing demand for smarter, faster, and more local delivery systems.
An injection of capital would allow us to:
Expand our fleet and infrastructure
Scale our API technology to more businesses
Develop the next version of our app
Recruit and retain top-tier riders
Build a logistics ecosystem that can serve all of Benue and beyond
Whether you’re a tech investor, logistics firm, or just someone passionate about building solutions in underserved markets, we welcome the opportunity to talk.
