Itara Marketplace

A Mobile-First eCommerce Platform for Nigerian Entrepreneurs

Overview

Itara Marketplace is a mobile-first eCommerce platform tailored for small to medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Nigeria, providing them with an easy and scalable solution to sell products online. Inspired by the functionality of global platforms like Amazon, Itara empowers local sellers with powerful tools to manage listings, process payments, and fulfill orders—all optimized for mobile. The goal was to build a lightweight, intuitive, and scalable shopping experience across iOS and Android, even in low-bandwidth environments.

Objectives

• Provide a seamless mobile eCommerce experience optimized for Nigerian users
• Enable entrepreneurs to list, manage, and sell their products easily
• Ensure smooth order processing and secure in-app payments

My Role

• Role(s): Software Architect & Mobile App Developer
• Platform(s): iOS & Android (Flutter)
• Key Responsibilities:
  • Architected the entire mobile infrastructure
  • Built the buyer and seller flows using Flutter
  • Integrated payment gateway, product catalog, and real-time order tracking
  • Optimized UI/UX for mobile performance and accessibility

Implementation Breakdown

1. Research & Planning

• Conducted interviews with local vendors and small businesses to identify core needs
• Studied existing solutions like Jumia and Amazon to extract key features and pain points
• Focused on offline support, low-data usage, and fast load times

2. Design System

• Worked with a UI/UX designer to ensure consistency in product implementation
• Prioritized simplicity and readability with large buttons, native gestures, and clear CTAs
• Built reusable component libraries in Flutter for fast iteration

3. Development

• Built with Flutter for cross-platform deployment
• Implemented:
  • Multi-store seller dashboard
  • Cart, checkout, and order history
  • Buyer reviews and seller ratings
  • In-app push notifications and messaging

4. Backend Integration

• Integrated with custom eCommerce backend via REST APIs
• Implemented secure mobile auth (OTP and email)
• Integrated Flutterwave for local payment processing
• Real-time order status updates with Firebase Cloud Messaging

5. CI/CD

• Used Codemagic and GitLab automated deployments for Flutter CI/CD
• Automatic app store deployment for both iOS and Android
• Crashlytics and Firebase Analytics for monitoring

Outcomes

• 📱 20,000+ downloads in the first 3 months
• 📦 4,000+ product listings by verified Nigerian entrepreneurs
• 💳 92% checkout success rate through integrated mobile payment
• ⚡ 35% faster app performance than competing platforms in Nigeria

Technologies Used

• Flutter (iOS & Android)
• Firebase (Cloud Messaging, Analytics)
• Flutterwave (Payments)
• REST API
• Figma (Design)
• Codemagic, GitLab (CI/CD)