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E-commerce: The new Market Enabler for Distributors, Manufacturers

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Globally, business conduct is no longer what it used to be; thanks to the impact of digital technology. The influence has become so eroding and enormous, such that digital revolution and digital wave have become buzzwords in today’s business world.

Be it large or small enterprises, business owners are left with no choice than to integrate digital technology into their strategy. If your business is not in the digital space, you are simply not fit for today’s competitive market dictated by dynamic customers. The market is no longer waiting for customers, as products and services are now tailored to meet the customers where they are located.

This, to a large extent, is why the e-commerce ecosystem is growing exponentially. Technology has successfully established a virtual market where millions of sellers meet consumers.

In return, the ease and convenience of the shopping endears the medium to customers. It has thus become imperative for product manufacturers to embrace the digital space if they are to fully exploit their target market.

Covid-19 and the restriction it imposed on global logistics showed manufacturers the effectiveness of the digital space. It is therefore not surprising that the wave of business-to-business e-commerce is sweeping through the informal retail sector and making a notable impact in the Nigerian space, with a number of companies such as Alerzo providing suitable channels.

The informal retail market had existed for ages amidst loads of challenges, such as lack of investments, disruption and innovation. It is a cash-based market that is largely unregulated and renowned for its unstable market prices.

The role of several intermediaries also creates complexity across the value chain, the brunt of which is felt mostly by the retailers. Manufacturers, on the other hand, cannot reach retailers in every nook and cranny. Hence, the market has several challenges begging for solutions.

Adewale Opaleye, the CEO of Alerzo Limited, one of the major B2B e-commerce players in the country, said the market holds enormous potential, but the problems need to be addressed with technology to fully open up the sector.

As a market aggregator with manufacturers and distributors as partners, the services of Alerzo have far reaching impact and benefits for all stakeholders in the value chain. Their intervention is making the market more effective and robust.

The implication of this on the market is that, with the technical facilities of the likes of Alerzo, and other e-commerce market players, FMCG products have safer, faster and more effective routes to informal retailers who are the primary market targets.

Suffice to say that global manufacturers such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Reckitt Benckiser, Dangote, Dufil, PZ Cussons and others are able to reach a wider market through digital technology.

E-commerce companies, by their nature of business, are asset-heavy which makes them part of the solutions to the perennial infrastructure problems in the sector. Market scan showed that the majority of the companies playing in the Nigerian informal retail markets provide warehousing and fulfilment solutions to suppliers.

Some e-commerce companies have said they own hundreds of vehicles and warehouses which are open to serve thousands of retailers and suppliers on their platforms.

Coupled with their ability to penetrate rural communities, manufacturers and distributors can also benefit from the increasing investment in logistics by b2b e-commerce firms. These platforms transport the ordered goods from manufacturers’ and distributors’ warehouses to the target retailers, scattered all over the country. In many cases, the service comes at no cost to the manufacturers.

Though they mostly roll out in regional markets, it has been observed that some e-commerce brands are expanding their reach to other regions of the country.

This makes them a veritable vehicle through which some product manufacturers can make in-road into other regions of the country.

The activities of b2b e-commerce companies are complementary, and highly needed in a market that had been hugely underserved for decades.

This holds true as both manufacturers and distributors can take advantage of the opportunities B2B e-commerce companies provide.

With both digital and physical routes now open in the informal retail market, this sector of the Nigerian economy is surely one to look out for, as Nigeria strides towards achieving the digital economy projections of 2030.


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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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.


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E-Business

Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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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.”


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

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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