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E-Business

Building Strategic Partnerships in E-commerce: Collaboration for Growth

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Strategic partnerships form an integral part of businesses today — and with good reason. Their importance has become more than just a wise business move but a necessity for sustainable growth. As aptly described by the age-old adage, “Two heads are better than one,” the concept underscores the profound significance of collaboration, especially in the realm of e-commerce.

At its core, building strategic partnerships provides companies with leeway to leverage the complementary capabilities of like-minded institutions — granting small, medium, and large organisations alike the access they need to expand to new markets, harness avant-garde infrastructure to meet overarching goals and targets, as well as a safety net to reduce risks. In the vast landscape of e-commerce, where competition is fierce and consumer expectations continue to evolve, success is not just about having a great product or a sleek website anymore. It is about forging strategic partnerships that amplify strengths, drive sustainable growth, and address consumers’ needs. The digital realm is evolving at breakneck speed, and in this ever-changing landscape, collaboration emerges as the linchpin for success.

A recent study conducted by IBM’s Institute for Business Value revealed that 54% of executives view strategic partnerships as critical for their organisation’s digital transformation efforts. In addition, a report by Kearney, a global consulting firm, highlights that well-executed strategic partnerships can create sustained value for both brands and consumers.

As these statistics highlight the impact of strategic partnerships: How can E-Commerce platforms leverage collaborative initiatives to meet evolving consumer needs?

Collaborations to broaden the E-Commerce Ecosystem

Take the case of Jumia Nigeria, the leading pan-African e-commerce platform. Since its inception, Jumia has been at the forefront of innovation, continuously striving to enhance the shopping experience for millions of customers across Nigeria. Yet, in an industry marked by rapid evolution and ever-changing consumer preferences, staying ahead requires more than just ingenuity – it demands collaboration.

In recent years, Jumia Nigeria has embarked on a journey of strategic partnerships, forging alliances with a diverse array of stakeholders ranging from local businesses to global brands. These partnerships have not only expanded Jumia’s product offerings but have also enriched its ecosystem, offering customers unparalleled choice and convenience. A good reference point is its partnership with leading manufacturers and brands like Adidas, Infinix, Oraimo, Binatone, Haier Thermocool, Diageo, and Nivea. These brands have official stores on Jumia where consumers can get easy access to their favourite products, and the brands offer special promotions to reward their consumer base for their loyalty.

Another strategic move by the company to further enhance customer satisfaction is its partnership with Mastercard and Providus Bank to introduce the Jumia Mastercard, an innovative payment card that elevates the shopping experience of its customers. Through this partnership, the company introduced a customer reward system which will serve to multiply purchasing power and foster lasting customer loyalty on Jumia’s platform throughout the year. With these partnerships, Jumia provides customers with access to the latest products while enabling the company to expand its market presence and attract new customers.

In another thoughtful partnership, the company partnered with Starlink to deliver Starlink’s satellite terminals and kits in Nigeria and Kenya, deepening broadband connectivity in African communities. Through this partnership, Starlink was able to harness Jumia’s elaborate delivery network to expand its reach in Africa.

Companies such as Jumia understand that building strategic partnerships is not just about the numbers; it is about creating a powerful ecosystem of collaboration that fuels mutual growth and customer satisfaction. When done right, partnerships forged will transform the e-commerce landscape and empower customers. Together, companies can rewrite the rules of success and create a future where strategic partnership can be a cornerstone for business growth.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

Firm Reports a 48% Increase in Malicious Packages Threatening Software Supply Chains

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Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) experts at the 10th annual Cyber Security Weekend – META 2025 held recently, talked about supply chain attacks and reported that by the end of 2024 a total of 14,000 malicious packages were found in open-source projects, a 48% increase compared to the end of 2023. 42 million versions of open-source packages have been examined by Kaspersky throughout 2024 in search for vulnerabilities.

Open-source is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. Popular open-source packages include GoMod, Maven, NuGet, npm, PyPI, and others.

These are tools that power countless applications and help developers easily find, install, and manage pre-built code libraries, making it simpler to build software by reusing code others have written. Attackers take advantage of the popularity of these and other packages.

In March 2025, the Lazarus Group was reported to have deployed several malicious npm packages, which were downloaded multiple times before removal. These packages contained malware to steal credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, and deploy backdoors, targeting developers’ systems across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The attack leveraged GitHub repositories for added legitimacy, highlighting the group’s sophisticated supply chain tactics. Kaspersky’s GReAT also found other npm packages related to this attack. Malicious npm packages could have been integrated into web development, cryptocurrency platforms, and enterprise software, risking widespread data theft and financial losses.

In 2024, a sophisticated backdoor was discovered in XZ Utils versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1, a widely used compression library in Linux distributions. Inserted by a trusted contributor, the malicious code targeted SSH servers, enabling remote command execution and threatening countless systems globally.

Detected before widespread exploitation due to performance anomalies, the incident highlighted the dangers of supply chain attacks. XZ Utils is integral to operating systems, cloud servers, and IoT devices, making its compromise a threat to critical infrastructure and enterprise networks.

In 2024, Kaspersky’s GReAT discovered that attackers uploaded malicious Python packages like chatgpt-python and chatgpt-wrapper to PyPI, mimicking legitimate tools for interacting with ChatGPT APIs.

These packages, designed to steal credentials and deploy backdoors, capitalised on the popularity of AI development to trick developers into downloading them. These packages could have been used in AI development, chatbot integrations, and data analytics platforms, endangering sensitive AI workflows and user data.

“Open-source software is the backbone of many modern solutions, but its openness is being weaponised. The 50% rise in malicious packages by the end of 2024 shows attackers are actively embedding sophisticated backdoors and data stealers in popular packages, which millions rely on.

“Without rigorous vetting and real-time monitoring, a single compromised package can trigger a global breach. Organisations need to secure the supply chain before the next XZ Utils-level attack succeeds,” comments Dmitry Galov, Head of Research Center for Russia and CIS at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team.


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E-Business

NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

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Data Breach
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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.

NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.

Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.

Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.

It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.

Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.

 

 

 


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E-Business

Nigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa

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Cyber security firm, Kaspersky, has once again warned that sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target Africa as ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APTs) escalate across the region.

Speaking at the company’s annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, the cybersecurity firm’s Global Research and Analysis Team highlighted growing digital threats affecting African nations.

Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa emerged as hotspots, with Kenya recording one of the highest web threat incident rates at 20.1% in first quarter 2025.

“While ransomware is less prevalent in Africa due to lower levels of digitisation and economic constraints, countries like South Africa and Nigeria are seeing a sharp rise in attacks,” said Sergey Lozhkin, head of META and APAC regions at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky noted a 0.01 percentage point increase in African ransomware cases year-on-year, reaching 0.41%, still below global and Middle Eastern averages, but a troubling sign for the continent’s emerging digital infrastructure.

Experts warned that attackers are refining their tactics, shifting focus to unconventional entry points like IoT devices, smart appliances, and misconfigured hardware.

“As these economies expand digitally, sectors such as manufacturing, finance and government are becoming key targets,” said Lozhkin

The cyber-crime landscape is evolving quickly, fuelled by AI tools and dark web access to large language models, which enable less skilled actors to launch convincing phishing and malware campaigns.

Groups like FunkSec, which uses AI-generated code and a low-cost ransom model, are redefining ransomware operations.

“African organisations face the dual challenge of expanding digital footprints and limited cybersecurity awareness. This makes layered defense strategies, including network segmentation, real-time monitoring and regular staff training, essential,” stated Lozhkin

Kaspersky continues to monitor 25 active APT groups in the META region, including SideWinder and MuddyWater, some of which are known to target African institutions.

To bolster defenses, the firm recommends using tools such as its free Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business and the Kaspersky Next suite for threat visibility and response.

 


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