E-Business
Building Strategic Partnerships in E-commerce: Collaboration for Growth
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.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over alleged violations of data protection laws involving students’ personal information.
The investigation follows public complaints alleging that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer of the NDPC, directed the investigation team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the circumstances surrounding the collection, processing, use and disclosure of the affected students’ personal data.
The investigation will also determine the respective roles and responsibilities of UNILAG, Lotus Bank and Hackerbella in the alleged processing of the data.
According to the Commission, the investigation will assess the data protection compliance obligations of the parties under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), as well as potential risks posed to the rights and freedoms of the affected data subjects.
The NDPC said the probe would cover several areas, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), the lawfulness and transparency of credit scoring or profiling activities, and the use of automated decision-making systems.
It will also examine the adequacy of privacy notices, data-sharing arrangements, lawful bases for processing, data minimisation and purpose limitation.
Other areas include data retention policies and the adequacy of technical and organisational measures put in place to safeguard the rights and personal data of affected students.
The Commission reiterated that institutions entrusted with the personal data of students, staff and other members of their communities have a heightened responsibility to ensure that such information is processed lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely.
The NDPC therefore warned educational institutions that are yet to comply with its existing data protection compliance directives to take immediate steps to achieve compliance.
The Commission said it would continue to exercise its regulatory mandate to protect the privacy rights of Nigerians and ensure that organisations processing personal data comply with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
Microsoft is planning to unveil its new Maia 300 AI chip this fall, potentially as soon as next month, The Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The company introduced its Maia AI chip in November 2023 but has lagged rivals such as Alphabet and Amazon in scaling up its in-house chip efforts as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Nvidia’s costly processors.
Google began recognizing revenue from direct sales of its custom AI chips, called Tensor Processing Units, in the quarter ended June, while Amazon has also seen growing adoption of its processors, including its Trainium chips.
Microsoft has been in talks with chipmaker TSMC to secure manufacturing capacity for more than 300,000 units of the chip for delivery in 2027, according to the report. It is also looking to significantly ramp up production and persuade major cloud customers such as Anthropic to adopt the chip.
Microsoft ultimately aims to secure capacity for more than 1 million Maia 300 chips, though component supplies and ongoing capacity negotiations with TSMC could constrain its plans, according to the report.
It unveiled its second-generation Maia 200 in January, built by TSMC using 3-nanometer technology.
Microsoft packed the chip with a significant amount of SRAM, a type of memory that can provide speed advantages for AI systems handling large numbers of user requests.
X has announced plans to discontinue its Revenue Sharing programme and introduce a new Original Content Rewards programme to reward creators for producing original content on the platform.
The social media company announced the changes at the weekend in a post on its X Creators handle, saying the new programme would reward creators who contribute original content.
“Today, we’re introducing the Original Content Rewards Program, a new way to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X,” the company said.
X said it would stop accepting new enrolments into the Revenue Sharing programme from Friday, while existing participants would continue earning until September 7, 2026.
“Starting today, we’re no longer accepting new enrollments into Revenue Sharing,” it said.
According to the company, existing Revenue Sharing participants will receive three final payouts, with two scheduled for August 14 and August 28, while the final payment for earnings accrued through September 7 is expected around September 11.
X said existing Revenue Sharing participants would begin getting access to apply for the new programme from September 8, subject to meeting its eligibility requirements.
The first payout under the Original Content Rewards programme will be made on August 28, 2026, while existing Revenue Sharing creators who enrol in the new programme from September 8 will receive their first payment on September 25.
Under the new programme, eligible creators will earn from qualified impressions generated by their original content, with payments made every two weeks.
X defined qualified impressions as unique impressions from Premium users on the Home Timeline feed, where at least 50 per cent of a post is visible.
On the other hand, “The following are excluded from qualified impressions: impressions from the same account counted more than once per post; paid, promoted, or artificially generated impressions; and fraudulent impressions,” it said.
To qualify, creators must be at least 18 years old, live in a country where the programme is available, maintain an account in good standing and have either a personal or vusiness account.
They must also subscribe to X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business, have at least 500 verified followers and record at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days.
X said creators must also regularly post original content to remain eligible.
“We want to recognize creators who break news, share expertise, tell stories, create entertainment, and contribute meaningful perspectives to the conversation,” the company said.
The platform said original content could include threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, analysis, commentary and reactions that add meaningful value to existing conversations.
It said creators who use content produced by others would need to add meaningful commentary, context, analysis, humour or creative transformation for such posts to qualify.
“Building on existing conversations is a core part of X, but simply reposting someone else’s content is not enough,” it said.
X said minor edits such as cropping, filters, borders, watermarks, speed adjustments or simple text overlays would generally not qualify as meaningful transformation on their own.
It also warned that content copied or substantially reproduced from another creator, content downloaded and re-uploaded from X or another platform without being the original author’s, automated content, disinformation and misleading content would be ineligible.
The company said accounts that violate the programme’s requirements could be temporarily or permanently removed from it, depending on the severity of the violation.
It added that creators would be responsible for ensuring they had the necessary rights, permissions or licences to use content created by others.
“Original content is content you personally create that reflects your own voice, perspective, expertise, or creativity,” X said.
The company said the new programme was intended to reward creators who make the platform more valuable by bringing original ideas and perspectives to its conversations.
“The Original Content Rewards Program is designed to reward the creators who start them, shape them, and move them forward,” it said.
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