E-Business
E-commerce Staking Big on the Future of Africa’s Economy

The reaction that trailed the entry of e-commerce into the African market is still fresh in memory for those conversant with events in the industry. The negativity was strong enough to put off timid investors.

The naysayers had all available indexes to be right: a continent with over a billion people, majority of whom live in rural settlements with low internet connectivity. The infrastructure needed for such a digital-based venture isn’t commonplace on the continent.
Ten years down the line, the sturdy investors are still in business. E-commerce has since proven its viability on the continent, with a customer base that keeps growing every year.
The activities are also spreading into rural communities as investors swarm the continent. From the humble beginning of B2C, the culture is fast spreading into the informal retail market. According to Per data from research consultancy, Briter, B2B ecommerce ventures in Africa secured more than $256 million in disclosed funding in 2021.
Statista Digital Market Outlook said e-commerce penetration rate in Africa will continue to increase, and by 2025 reach around 40%. The overall African market is projected to reach $180 billion by 2025.
“E-commerce brands have always staked big on the future of Africa since their first entry about a decade ago. The odds were there but they saw the potential. The exploit of e-commerce forerunners has encouraged several other investors to venture into Africa. Now the B2Bs are taking it further,” said industry expert and analyst, Samuel Elegba.
One of the innovative B2B platforms leading the impact on the Nigerian retail market is Alerzo. “We empower retailers in the informal sector through our ecosystem of digital products, so they are equipped to run profitable and sustainable businesses.
“We’re focused on supplying much-needed products to informal retailers without the usual stress and dangers involved. With our services, we have improved the profitability of over 80,000 retail owners,” said Chief Executive Officer of Alerzo Limited, Adewale Opaleye.
Speaking further, Elegba explained that the impact e-commerce brands have on businesses in Africa is conspicuous and will play a crucial role in the future of Africa’s economy.
“They are providing a platform for SMEs to thrive. And given the crucial roles of the SMEs to the global economy, investment of e-commerce firms in this sector makes them a critical part of every digital conversation and projections across Africa.
“Some will still want to talk about whether they are profitable or not. But don’t forget that the investors had made a standpoint from inception: their aim was to drive acceptance based on impact, and the rest will fall in line. And as we can see, every region in Nigeria and Africa is feeling the impact of e-commerce.”
The growing rate of investment in e-commerce across Africa is good for the future, especially for SMEs. With partnerships, collaboration and continuous innovation, e-commerce firms are not only improving business activities and productivity, but are staking big on the digital future of Africa’s economy.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
E-Business
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
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