Nigeria’s $2B+ events industry operates on handshake agreements and Instagram DMs. A new mobile platform is replacing word-of-mouth vendor hiring with transparent pricing, verified portfolios, and secure payments, signalling a structural shift in how Nigerians book photographers, caterers, and venue operators.
Event planning in Nigeria has historically relied on trust without infrastructure. Couples planning weddings source photographers through referrals; corporate clients coordinate caterers via WhatsApp; diaspora Nigerians attempting to hire vendors for home-based events face opacity on pricing, availability, and accountability.
Celevend, a Lagos-based event services marketplace, has launched to address this fragmentation. The platform aggregates vendors across photography, catering, decoration, DJ services, makeup, venues, baking, and 17 additional categories into a single mobile app, enabling direct booking with transparent pricing and secure payment processing.
The startup has onboarded 400+ vendors since launch and operates nationwide. Both iOS and Android versions are available for free download.
“The event industry in Nigeria has zero infrastructure,” a market analyst noted. “Vendors operate from social media profiles with no booking records. Clients rely entirely on reputation, which limits market reach for small businesses and creates friction for customers.”
Celevend’s model reverses this. Vendors receive free digital storefronts with portfolio management and booking tools. Customers browse verified vendor profiles, compare pricing upfront, access client reviews, and process payments through the platform, eliminating cash-only transactions to personal accounts.
The diaspora market represents a particular opportunity. Nigerians abroad planning events back home currently lack visibility into local vendor availability or pricing. Celevend centralises this information, reducing coordination friction for remote event planning.
The platform’s 24+ service categories indicate breadth from wedding photography to naming ceremony, catering to corporate event decoration. Pricing transparency and booking record-keeping address two documented pain points in Nigeria’s informal vendor-hiring model.
Kelvin Atemie-Hart, founder, declined detailed comment on revenue model or funding, stating only that the platform prioritises vendor accessibility and customer security.
