E-Business
Five Factors Fuelling Rise of eCommerce in Nigeria

eCommerce has become a global multi-million-dollar industry, with worldwide sales projected to hit an all-time high of $4 trillion in three years.
Although accurate statistics on the volume of e-commerce transactions on the continent is hard to come by, research by McKinsey indicates that e‑commerce will open up a new shopping experience for Africa’s growing middle class.
According to McKinsey, e-commerce could account for 10 per cent of retail sales in the continent’s largest economies by 2025, translating into about $75 billion in annual revenue.
With more Nigerians embracing the e-commerce fare amid a growing awareness for globally celebrated shopping festivals such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, among others, the country could be on the verge of reaping big benefits from the sub-sector.
In this piece, the Research and Development Unit of Yudala, Nigeria’s fastest growing e-commerce outfit, takes a look at the factors fueling the growing attraction of e-commerce in Nigeria.
Growth in smartphone adoption
eCommerce is an industry that thrives on the smartphone culture. Nigeria remains one of the most attractive markets on the continent for smartphones and other tech gadgets – a factor that has seen the growing influx of a number of smartphone brands all competing for a share of the juicy market.
As a result, smartphone adoption is on the rise in Nigeria. This has gone a long way in boosting e-commerce in Nigeria, with the mobile devices category remaining one of the fastest moving among shoppegrs on the Yudala platform.
Global digital giant Google recently announced the imminent launch of a smartphone made by Japanese brand, Freetel during its Google for Nigeria engagement with an attractive price point of N13,000. With more quality yet price-sensitive manufacturers coming on-board, the smartphone adoption trend is expected to rise further in Nigeria.
Rise in mobile internet penetration
Closely related to the above is the rise in mobile internet penetration in Nigeria. Current data made available by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that the number of internet users in Nigeria has increased to 91.6 million in June 2017.
According to the statistics released, internet users increased to 91,598,757 in June 2017 as against 91,565,010 users recorded in May 2017, showing an increase of 33,747.
With more data-efficient browsers such as Opera Mini coming into play and mobile apps also presenting a convenient means of accessing the offerings of competing e-commerce brands, the appeal of e-commerce is well and truly on the rise.
Proliferation of e-commerce sites
From the heady days of 2012 when only a couple of players held sway, the e-commerce bug has spread like wild-fire.
New entrants have taken to the fray, expanding the scope of offerings and the conduct of e-commerce in the country. Some of them have challenged existing structures by providing more convenient options for the consumer to shop.
Yudala’s fusion of an online platform with physical (brick-and-mortar) stores located nationwide comes to mind here.
The first-ever drone delivery also achieved by Yudala during its debut Black Friday sales in November 2015 also captured the imagination, further raising the bar and setting new standards in the sub-sector.
Others such as Payporte have made a huge splash through events sponsorship with the bank-rolling of the reality show, Big Brother Nigeria.
These days, the average Nigerian has a plethora of e-commerce companies to choose from, a factor that has contributed in no small measure to the popularity of the industry.
Ease and convenience in shopping
For most busy Nigerians caught up in the daily hustle of making ends meet in cosmopolitan cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc., the convenience and ease that e-commerce lends is a blessing.
The days when the only option one has is to physically visit the market to get much-needed items seem to be over.
Today, you can sit in the comfort of your home or office, check out an item online, place an order and have the item(s) delivered within a couple of days without hassles.
This extra convenience works perfectly not only for busy business executives but also for expectant/nursing mothers and other categories of shoppers unable to find the time nor unsure of the right open-air markets to visit for needed items.
More options
Closely related to the point above is the variety of options e-commerce has provided for the average shopper to meet his/her shopping requirements.
For many Nigerians, seeing and being able to touch an item beats just being able to see it on the screen of a mobile phone or laptop.
Many still want to see, touch, feel and/or experience a product before they part with their money. With platforms such as Yudala fusing an online platform with offline/physical retail stores, the consumer has more options to embrace e-commerce, albeit from a traditional shopping stand-point.
The consumer can order online and pick up the item or self-fulfil at the nearest store or better still, walk in to the store and purchase a product outright.
Indeed, recent statistics show that a significant number of purchases made at Yudala’s physical stores originate from shoppers who had previously checked out the products online. These options have contributed to a large extent in improving the appeal of e-commerce for hitherto-unconverted folk in Nigeria.
E-Business
Kaspersky Warns of a New Phishing Technique Leveraging Bubble, a no-code AI Platform

Kaspersky has discovered a new phishing tactic used to evade traditional security controls that exploits Bubble, a platform that allows users to build web and mobile applications through a visual interface without writing code.

Attackers are increasingly adopting innovative tools designed for legitimate software development and repurposing them to boost phishing campaigns.
Traditional phishing attacks often rely on malicious links or obvious redirection techniques, which are typically flagged and blocked by modern security systems.
However, attackers are now leveraging Bubble’s no-code environment to generate intermediary web applications which are hosted on Bubble’s legitimate infrastructure and trusted domains such as *.bubble.io, which improves their credibility and helps them bypass security filters.
These applications function as disguised redirectors, silently forwarding victims to malicious credential-harvesting websites.
In the observed campaign, victims were ultimately redirected to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft login page, protected by a Cloudflare verification layer designed to further obscure malicious intent.
This technique is likely being integrated into broader phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms and phishing kits. These kits enable a wide range of malicious capabilities with ready-made tools, including real-time interception of session cookies, driving phishing campaigns through legitimate services such as Google Tasks and Google Forms, and carry out adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks that can bypass multi-factor authentication.
They also support the generation of phishing emails using AI, implement geo-filtering and anti-detection mechanisms to evade security crawlers and are often hosted on reputable cloud services like AWS to avoid blacklisting.
“The use of legitimate platforms like Bubble introduces a new level of trust abuse, making it harder for both users and automated systems to distinguish between safe and malicious content. This significantly increases the likelihood of credential theft, unauthorised access and potential data breaches,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.
E-Business
NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.

The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
E-Business
FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion – Minister

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
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