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B2B e-commerce: Connecting the Digital Brick and Mortar Divide

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The entry of e-commerce in Nigeria was predicated on the coming of an easier, faster and more convenient shopping option to the prevalent brick and mortar culture.

It came with cost saving benefits and a competitive market pricing which gives consumers assortments to choose from. Within a few months, a new price checking culture had emerged.

Nigerians began to check and compare product prices online, rather than the conventional market price sampling. Hence, a rivalry was born, as proponents of digital products gradually lured customers away from physical stores.

While millions of digital natives and migrants tilted towards convenience of online shopping, the Nigerian informal retail market, estimated at over $100 billion kept the conventional market routes busy.

This is understandable. About 90% of the retailers in the sector have no formal education, and  85% of them prefer to settle their transactions in cash. Though the majority of them have access and own smartphones, the devices are mostly underused, as internet surfing skills don’t appeal to the majority in this bracket.

However, these retailers needed the convenience of e-commerce. Market trips are not minced meat. For some, it takes a full day of physical and mental energy. Transportation costs also eat deep into their profit. The market was thus open to a well tailored technology.

“I watched my mother, a retailer, burn both ends of the candle to provide for both my siblings and me. While studying at a university in China, I saw firsthand how technology could transform and empower communities. So the challenges my mother went through spurred me to create a similar solution for the Nigerian informal retail community,” said Alerzo Limited CEO, Adewale Opaleye.

Alerzo is one of the fast growing B2B e-commerce brands deploying technology to ease business experience for informal retailers in Nigeria,  connecting physical stores with digital solutions. TradeDepot, Omnibiz, Wabi2b also play in the sector across Nigeria.

Fully aware that the majority of these retailers have no formal education, e-commerce, through shopping and logistics technology, has simplified the goods ordering process for retailers. They source products from manufacturers based on orders from retailers and deliver them to their stores.

“We’ve made the restocking process easier by making them available on simple channels like USSD codes and WhatsApp. More importantly, we are also training retailers in rural communities on how they can order goods using our app. Improved internet penetration is also helping because many of them have smartphones, they only need little guidance and teaching,” Opaleye added.

B2B e-commerce companies say they also offer market advisory services to retailers to enable them to improve their profit margins.

According to some of the key market players, they recommend popular stock options to retailers based on data gathered from other vendors and market trends observed from consumers. This way, they help retailers introduce new products that establish them as the go-to shop in their locations and attain customer loyalty.

As the online shopping wave gets stronger, the crucial space occupied by informal retailers in the Nigerian setting cannot be ignored. It is therefore noteworthy that digital solutions by e-commerce brands in the sector are showing how technology can complement physical stores, improve market efficiency and facilitate overall digital economy growth.

 


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E-Business

Temu Joins INTA to Combat Counterfeits and Elevate IP Standards Worldwide

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Temu, the global online marketplace, has joined the International Trademark Association (INTA) as a corporate member and serves on its Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

INTA is a global association that brings together more than 6,700 organizations, representing over 37,000 trademark professionals and brand owners across 181 countries. By joining INTA, Temu deepens its commitment to building a trusted online marketplace and advancing global IP protection through broader, cross-industry collaboration.

“INTA welcomes TEMU’s willingness to engage in anticounterfeiting initiatives, including in the Association’s annual Anticounterfeiting Workshop and Online Takedown Certificate Program which serve to share best practices and connect stakeholders,” said Alastair Gray, Director of Anti-Counterfeiting, INTA. “Constructive collaboration with these efforts can contribute to the protection of intellectual property rights for INTA members and support the removal of counterfeit products from the platform which ultimately protects consumers.”

At the 2025 INTA Annual Meeting held in San Diego in May, Temu participated in the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee Roundtable, serving as a moderator to facilitate discussions among brand owners, online platforms, and government officials on emerging technologies, best practices for collaboration, and strategies to strengthen global anti-counterfeiting efforts.

“Joining INTA and serving on its Anti-Counterfeiting Committee reflects Temu’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a trustworthy online shopping experience,” said a Temu spokesperson. “We value collaboration with industry peers and stakeholders and are dedicated to advancing collective efforts in intellectual property protection.”

Temu also participates in INTA-led online workshops, including the Online Platform Notice and Takedown Certification Program, which outlines the latest procedures and best practices used by e-commerce platforms and social media companies. These workshops aim to enhance the quality and accuracy of rights-holder notices, promoting more effective takedown processes and content moderation.

Since launching in 2022, Temu has made significant investments in IP enforcement. Its measures include comprehensive seller vetting and compliance training, 24/7 algorithmic monitoring with manual review, a dedicated IP protection portal and brand registry to streamline takedown submissions, and an internal enforcement team that handles claims with speed and accuracy.


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Huawei Unveils AI Computing System to Challenge Nvidia’s Flagship Product

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China’s Huawei Technologies unveiled an AI computing system on Saturday that an industry expert said rivals Nvidia’s most advanced product, as the company aims to expand its footprint in the country’s booming AI sector.

Huawei Unveils AI Computing System to Challenge Nvidia’s Flagship Product

The CloudMatrix 384 system made its public debut at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), a three-day event in Shanghai, attracting a large crowd to Huawei’s booth with its showcase of cutting-edge AI innovations.

The system has attracted significant interest from the global AI community since Huawei (HWT.UL) first introduced it in April. Industry analysts see it as a direct challenger to Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72, the most advanced system-level offering currently available from the U.S. chipmaker.

In an April article, Dylan Patel, founder of semiconductor research firm SemiAnalysis, stated that Huawei now possesses AI system capabilities that could surpass those of Nvidia.

Huawei staff at its WAIC booth declined to comment when asked to introduce the CloudMatrix 384 system.

A spokesperson for Huawei did not respond to questions.

Huawei has become widely regarded as China’s most promising domestic supplier of chips essential for AI development, even though the company faces U.S. export restrictions.

Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang told Bloomberg in May that Huawei had been “moving quite fast” and named the CloudMatrix as an example.

The CloudMatrix 384 system features 384 of Huawei’s latest 910C chips and, according to SemiAnalysis, surpasses Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 in certain performance metrics, despite the latter using 72 B200 chips.

SemiAnalysis attributes this performance advantage to Huawei’s strong system design, which offsets the lower power of individual chips by leveraging a greater number of them and incorporating system-level innovations.

Huawei describes the system as utilizing a “supernode” architecture that enables ultra-high-speed interconnectivity between chips.

In June, Zhang Pingan, CEO, Huawei Cloud confirmed that the CloudMatrix 384 was already operational on Huawei’s cloud platform.


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E-Business

Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend

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Transcorp Hotels Plc has delivered a stellar performance in the first half of 2025, recording a 60% year-on-year surge in revenue to ₦47.57 billion, up from ₦29.72 billion in H1 2024. Gross profit climbed 71% to ₦36.21 billion, maintaining a strong 76% margin despite inflation and operational headwinds.

The hospitality giant, a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, also announced an interim dividend payout of ₦1.024 billion — offering ₦0.10 per 50 kobo ordinary share to shareholders.

In a bold move, the company unveiled Nigeria’s largest corporate venue — the 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre — staking its claim as the new leader in event hospitality. Chairman Emmanuel Nnorom described the results as proof of Transcorp Hotels’ transformative strategies and unwavering investor commitment. MD/CEO Uzo Oshogwe attributed the success to relentless execution and a resilient business model.

Transcorp Hotels, renowned for iconic assets like Transcorp Hilton Abuja and its digital platform Aura, says it isn’t just leading Nigeria’s hospitality sector — it’s redefining excellence across Africa.


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