Privacy Policy

Suwe is a hyperlocal errand and delivery marketplace operated by Alan Innovations Ltd, a company registered in Nigeria and based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. In this policy, “Suwe”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Alan Innovations Ltd. This policy explains what personal data we collect when you use our website and mobile app, how we use it, and the rights you have.

We are the data controller for the personal data described here. If you have any questions, contact us at hello@thesuwe.com.

Information you give us

• Waitlist & contact details: your name, email, phone number and city when you join the waitlist or contact us through this website.
• Account details: your name, phone number and city when you create an account in the app.
• Identity verification data: your National Identification Number (NIN) and a selfie/liveness capture, used to verify runners and (where required) requesters.
• Request content: the errands you post: categories, descriptions, item lists, pickup and drop-off addresses, budgets and timing.
• Messages & ratings: chats and calls with the other party in a job, plus ratings and reviews you leave.

Information we collect automatically

• Location data: your device location, captured when you open the app and during an active job, to show nearby runners and enable live tracking. We do not run continuous background location tracking.
• Device & usage data: device type, app version, push-notification token, and basic diagnostic and usage information.
• Transaction data: records of payments, escrow funding and release, payouts, and job history.

• To operate the marketplace: posting requests, showing nearby runners, handling bids, matching, tracking and completion.
• To verify identity and keep the platform safe and trustworthy for everyone.
• To process payments, hold funds in escrow, release them on completion, and pay out runner earnings.
• To enable communication (in-app chat and calls) between a requester and their matched runner.
• To send you service messages and, where relevant, waitlist and product updates.
• To provide support, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and abuse, and meet our legal obligations.
• To improve Suwe: understanding what works so we can make it better.

We process your personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Depending on the situation, we rely on: performance of a contract with you (to provide the service you request); your consent (for example, location access and marketing messages, which you can withdraw); our legitimate interests (keeping Suwe safe, preventing fraud, and improving the product); and compliance with legal obligations.

We don’t sell your personal data. We share it only as needed to run Suwe:

• With the other party to a job: a requester and their matched runner see the limited details needed to complete the errand (such as name, relevant location, and in-app contact). Runner pins are fuzzed until you match.
• With service providers who help us operate, including: Paystack (payments and escrow), Smile ID (NIN and selfie identity verification), Termii (one-time passwords), GetStream (in-app chat and calls), Google Maps (maps and location), and providers for hosting, email and push notifications.
• For legal reasons: where required by law, regulation, legal process, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Suwe, our users or the public.
• In a business transfer: if Suwe is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, subject to this policy.

Location is central to how Suwe works, so we handle it carefully. We capture your location when you open the app (this is what makes runners “present” and shows requesters who is nearby) and during a job you have accepted, to enable live tracking between the matched pair. Precise live tracking only turns on after escrow is funded, and only between the two people in that job. We do not track your location continuously in the background. You can control location access in your device settings; some features won’t work without it.

Payments and escrow are handled by Paystack, our payment processor. When you fund a job, your money is held in escrow and released to the runner only when you confirm the job is done (or per our cancellation and dispute rules). We do not store your full card details; those are handled directly by Paystack under their own security standards and privacy policy.

To keep Suwe trustworthy, runners complete identity verification using their NIN and a selfie/liveness check, processed through Smile ID. This confirms there is a real, traceable person behind every runner. We use this data for verification, safety and fraud-prevention, and we retain it only as long as needed for those purposes and to meet legal requirements.

We keep your personal data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service, then for as long as necessary to comply with our legal, tax and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it.

Under the NDPA/NDPR you have rights over your personal data, including to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Request deletion of your data, where applicable.
• Object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent at any time.
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
• Lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@thesuwe.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

We use technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit, access controls, and trusted infrastructure providers. Sensitive tokens are stored securely on your device. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to respond quickly if something goes wrong.

Our website uses only the cookies and similar technologies needed to run the site and understand, in aggregate, how it’s used so we can improve it. We do not use them to build advertising profiles of you. Where analytics are used, they help us measure traffic and performance.

Suwe is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will remove it.

We may update this policy as Suwe evolves or as the law requires. When we make material changes, we’ll update the “last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify you. Please check back from time to time.

For any privacy question or request, contact Alan Innovations Ltd at hello@thesuwe.com, or by post at No 34 Ukpe Street, Osongama Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.