1 Best APIs for Delivery Quote API in Nigeria

Sendy (sendyit.com) is an African logistics and delivery API platform that enables businesses to integrate on-demand delivery capabilities directly into their applications. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Sendy operates across multiple African markets including Nigeria, Uganda, and Tanzania — providing API access to a network of motorbike riders, van drivers, and truck operators for same-day and on-demand delivery. For Nigerian developers and businesses, Sendy's API provides a programmable layer on top of a physical delivery network covering Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and other major Nigerian cities. **What Sendy Does** Sendy provides a complete logistics API covering the full delivery lifecycle: **1. Delivery Quoting** Before creating an order, query Sendy's quote API with pickup and dropoff coordinates to receive a price estimate and estimated delivery time. The quote considers distance, vehicle type (motorbike, van, pickup truck), and real-time demand. This allows your app to show customers the delivery cost at checkout before they confirm. **2. Order Creation** Create a delivery order by providing: - Pickup location (name, phone, GPS coordinates, address description) - Dropoff location (recipient name, phone, GPS coordinates, address description) - Package details (description, weight/size category) - Vehicle type (motorbike for small packages, van for medium, truck for large/bulk) - Cash on delivery amount (if applicable) Sendy assigns the nearest available driver and returns an order ID for tracking. **3. Real-time GPS Tracking** After order creation, poll the tracking endpoint or use webhooks to get real-time location updates for the assigned driver. Returns driver GPS coordinates, driver name, driver phone, and current order status. This data can be displayed on a map in your customer-facing tracking interface. **4. Multi-stop Deliveries** Sendy supports multi-stop delivery routes — a single vehicle can collect from one pickup point and make deliveries to multiple dropoff locations. Essential for batch fulfillment: pick up all morning orders from a warehouse and deliver to multiple customers in a single optimized run. **5. Proof of Delivery** Sendy riders capture delivery confirmation (photo, recipient name, timestamp) which is available through the API after successful delivery — providing evidence for dispute resolution and delivery auditing. **6. Webhooks** Register a webhook URL to receive real-time event notifications: - `order_created`: Order accepted by a driver - `order_picked_up`: Package collected from pickup point - `order_delivered`: Successful delivery with proof - `order_cancelled`: Order cancelled - `order_failed`: Delivery failed (recipient unavailable, wrong address) **How Developers Integrate Sendy** After obtaining API credentials from a Sendy business account: ``` POST https://api.sendyit.com/v1/order/new Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN { "request_token": "YOUR_API_KEY", "pickup": { "address": "1 Ozumba Mbadiwe Ave, Lagos", "lat": 6.4281, "long": 3.4219 }, "delivery": { "address": "15 Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos", "lat": 6.4698, "long": 3.5852 }, "package": { "name": "Electronics", "weight": 2 }, "vehicle_type": "bike" } ``` The API is RESTful with JSON request/response bodies. Sendy provides a sandbox environment for development testing without incurring real delivery costs. **Nigerian Coverage** Sendy operates in multiple Nigerian cities: - **Lagos**: Full coverage across the metropolitan area — Lagos Island, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikeja, Surulere, Yaba, Ajah, and surrounding areas - **Abuja**: Coverage across major FCT districts - **Port Harcourt**: Core city coverage Coverage availability depends on rider supply at any given time. For guaranteed coverage SLAs, contact Sendy for enterprise agreements. **Vehicle Types** - **Motorbike**: Best for documents, food, small packages (under 10kg). Fastest option — typical delivery within 30-60 minutes in Lagos. - **Van/Saloon**: Medium packages, multiple items (10-100kg). Good for e-commerce bulk pickups. - **Pickup Truck**: Large items, bulky goods, furniture (100kg+). Slower scheduling but handles freight loads. **Pricing** Sendy charges per delivery based on distance and vehicle type. There is no monthly subscription fee — you pay only for deliveries executed. This makes it accessible for startups with variable delivery volumes. Enterprise pricing with negotiated rates is available for high-volume customers. Integration into your app through the API allows you to add a markup and present delivery as a value-added service. **Cash on Delivery** Sendy riders can collect payment (cash) from recipients on behalf of the sender. This is particularly valuable in Nigeria where cash on delivery remains a dominant payment preference among e-commerce buyers who are not comfortable with digital payments. The COD amount is specified at order creation and disbursed to the business periodically. **Use Case: Nigerian E-Commerce Last-Mile** For a Nigerian e-commerce platform, Sendy integration replaces the need to hire and manage in-house delivery riders. When an order is confirmed: 1. The platform's backend calls Sendy's quote API to get a price and ETA 2. The delivery cost is shown to the customer at checkout 3. On order confirmation, Sendy's order creation API dispatches a rider 4. The tracking API or webhooks keep the customer and platform updated 5. Proof of delivery is stored for auditing This eliminates the operational overhead of fleet management while providing professional delivery tracking to customers. **Alternatives in Nigeria** Other logistics API options for Nigeria include: - **Sendbox**: Nigerian-founded, strong last-mile focus, API for e-commerce - **GIG Logistics API**: Nigeria's largest courier network, API for enterprise - **Kwik Delivery**: Same-day Lagos delivery API - **DHL API**: International shipping with Nigerian pickup Sendy's differentiator is its multi-country African footprint, which matters for businesses operating across multiple African markets beyond Nigeria. **Company Background** Sendy was founded in 2015 in Nairobi by Mesh Alloys, Evanson Biwott, and Don Okoth. The company has raised over $20 million in funding from investors including Toyota Tsusho and Atlantica Ventures. Sendy expanded beyond Kenya into Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria. The company serves SMEs and large enterprises, including partnerships with platforms like Glovo for food and grocery delivery. Sendy's API-first approach makes it a natural logistics backend for African software platforms. Sendy is a reliable, Africa-native logistics API for Nigerian developers who need to embed on-demand delivery capabilities without building or managing their own rider network.