1 Best APIs for Cross-border West Africa in Nigeria

Kobo360 is a Nigerian-founded technology-enabled freight logistics platform that connects cargo owners (shippers) with a verified network of truck operators across Nigeria and West Africa. Backed by Y Combinator (W18) and enterprise investors including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Goldman Sachs, Kobo360 addresses one of Nigeria's most critical economic bottlenecks: the inefficiency of road freight for moving goods between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Through its API, businesses can programmatically book trucks, track cargo in real time, and integrate freight logistics into supply chain and ERP systems. **What Kobo360 Does** Kobo360 operates in the freight/trucking segment — moving large quantities of goods over long distances. This is fundamentally different from last-mile parcel couriers like GIG Logistics or Sendbox: - **Courier (GIG, Sendbox, Kwik)**: Small parcels, door-to-door, typically under 100kg, urban focus - **Freight (Kobo360)**: Large cargo loads, factory-to-warehouse or port-to-distributor, metric tonnes, long-haul routes **API Capabilities** **1. Truck Booking** Book a truck of the appropriate type for the cargo and route: - **Mini-truck (1-3 tonnes)**: FMCG case goods, beverages, consumer electronics - **Medium truck (3-7 tonnes)**: Bulk food items, building materials, industrial goods - **Articulated truck (20-30 tonnes)**: Containers, petroleum products, heavy machinery **2. Real-time GPS Cargo Tracking** Every Kobo360 truck is fitted with a GPS tracker (the company distributes tracking devices to drivers). The API returns real-time truck location, estimated arrival time at destination, and any route deviations. For cargo owners, this replaces the frustrating practice of calling drivers by phone to get location updates. **3. Driver Verification** Kobo360 vets all drivers before onboarding: driver's license verification, vehicle inspection, guarantor verification, and criminal background screening. The API guarantees that booked trucks are operated by verified, trained drivers — a significant improvement over the informal truck market where shipper-driver relationships are ad-hoc. **4. Digital Proof of Delivery** Drivers capture delivery confirmation digitally — recipient name, signature, GPS location, and timestamp — through the Kobo360 driver app. This data is available via API and eliminates disputes about whether goods were delivered. **5. Route Coverage** Key Kobo360 routes in Nigeria: - Lagos → Kano - Lagos → Abuja - Lagos → Onitsha / Port Harcourt - Apapa Port → Kano (container evacuation) - Cross-border: Nigeria → Ghana, Nigeria → Cameroon **6. Insurance Integration** Kobo360 includes cargo insurance as part of every trip, providing protection against theft, damage, and accidents. Insurance documentation is available through the API for cargo owner records. **How Developers Integrate Kobo360** Kobo360 provides a REST API with OAuth 2.0 authentication. After registering as a cargo owner and completing account verification: ``` POST https://api.kobo360.com/v1/trips/request Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN { "origin": "Apapa Port, Lagos", "destination": "Dawanau Market, Kano", "cargo_type": "dry_goods", "weight": 25000, "truck_type": "articulated" } ``` Returns available trucks with estimated prices, ETAs, and driver profiles. Confirm to book and receive a trip ID for tracking. **Nigerian Supply Chain Context** Nigeria's $25 billion logistics sector is dominated by road freight — railways are underdeveloped and air freight is cost-prohibitive for most goods. Key supply chain challenges that Kobo360 solves: 1. **Truck availability uncertainty**: Shippers historically spend days finding available trucks through broker networks 2. **No price transparency**: Freight rates were negotiated ad-hoc, often with large variance 3. **Cash advance culture**: Truck operators demanded cash advances before starting trips 4. **Zero visibility**: No tracking meant cargo owners had no information between loading and delivery 5. **Driver reliability**: Unvetted drivers created risks of theft, abandonment, and accidents Kobo360's digital platform and API eliminate all five pain points simultaneously. **Enterprise Clients** Kobo360's enterprise API is used by multinational and large Nigerian companies: - **Unilever Nigeria**: Distribution of consumer goods from Lagos factory to depot network - **Honeywell Flour Mills**: Flour distribution from mills to distributors nationwide - **Nestlé Nigeria**: Ingredients inbound and finished goods distribution - **Various FMCG companies**: Repeat high-volume distribution routes **Pricing** Per-trip pricing based on truck type, cargo weight, and route distance. No monthly subscription for API access. Enterprise cargo owners negotiate volume rates directly with Kobo360's commercial team. Trip costs are typically 15-25% lower than informal truck market rates due to Kobo360's operational efficiencies. **Compliance and Onboarding** API access requires: - Business registration (CAC) - Tax compliance documentation - Cargo insurance information - Credit evaluation for post-payment terms Kobo360 also supports pre-payment (wallet-funded trips) for businesses that prefer not to undergo credit evaluation. **Company Background** Kobo360 was founded in 2017 by Obi Ozor and Ife Oyedele. The company went through Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch and has raised over $20 million from investors including IFC (World Bank Group), Goldman Sachs, and Alitheia IDF. Operations span Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya. Kobo360 has processed tens of thousands of trips and established itself as the technology leader in African road freight. The company's mission is to eliminate inefficiency in African logistics through technology. Kobo360 is the premier API choice for any Nigerian business that moves significant quantities of goods by road — transforming a historically informal, opaque logistics sector into a digitally managed, trackable, and reliable supply chain.