The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has selected Swoop as one of two food delivery platforms authorised to operate under a three-month pilot aimed at tightening campus security while maintaining students’ access to affordable and convenient food delivery services.
The programme introduces a controlled delivery system in response to concerns over the growing number of unregistered delivery riders entering the university and the potential implications for campus security, student welfare and orderliness.
Under the new arrangement, food deliveries within the university will be handled by registered and identifiable riders operating through platforms approved by the institution.
Swoop will work with UNILAG’s security unit to ensure riders participating in the programme are registered, identifiable and accountable, while collaborating with the Dean of Student Affairs on issues relating to student welfare.
Demola Adesina, country manager of Swoop and a UNILAG alumnus, said the company’s selection reflected the university’s emphasis on safety and accountability.
“The university has been very clear that student safety and security are the priority, and we share that responsibility,” Adesina said.
According to him, Swoop would ensure that riders operating on campus were properly registered and identifiable while maintaining access to food delivery services for students.
UNILAG’s new system seeks to address that gap by moving from largely open access to a managed pool of delivery riders whose identities and operations can be verified.
The arrangement is also intended to improve transparency for students using delivery services. Through Swoop, customers can view applicable delivery and service charges before confirming an order and track deliveries in real time from restaurants to their destinations.
Swoop’s operating model also places emphasis on the economics of the delivery ecosystem, with riders retaining 100 percent of their delivery fees while merchants are charged lower platform fees.
The model is designed to allow restaurants to retain more value from orders while giving them access to customers outside their immediate locations.
The UNILAG pilot therefore gives the platform an opportunity to showcase its model within a tightly regulated environment while establishing operational standards for rider accountability.
Adesina said the company viewed the programme as an opportunity to show that safety and convenience could operate alongside each other.
“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,” he said.
The three-month pilot will provide UNILAG with a framework to assess the effectiveness of a managed food delivery system in strengthening campus security while preserving students’ access to delivery services.
