E-Business
How Cloud Computing Can Drive the Big Data Revolution

The world is generating more data than ever before. It’s also capturing more of that data than it has in the past. From digital packets running through global networks to information that’s processed by smart devices on the edge of IoT setups, there’s plenty of material being churned out daily.
A report from the year 2019 estimates that about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day. This number will continue to grow, as IoT becomes commonplace and we increase our dependence on digital technology.
For most people, these figures are mere statistics. But for many organizations, they represent a vast treasure throve that they can leverage to gain unusual insights into their customers, target markets, and industries.
That’s why big data has become a thing.
What is Big Data?
The term big data refers to large amounts of data that companies receive from their various interaction points—client information, customer service, transactions, market prices, engagement on the web and social media platforms, etc.
‘Big data’ could also apply to the large amount of data that is generated by sensors on an oil rig or by smart machines at a factory site.
Companies can gather these sorts of data, analyze them, and see the trends in the crucial variables. This gives them a picture of what’s going on in various aspects of their operations and lets them make intelligent decisions based on that picture.
For instance, let’s say you have access to data on the thousands of sales made by an ecommerce store within a year. You also have information like the days, time of the day, and months in which these sales have been made.
You could analyze this data and find out things like the times of the day, days of the week, and months of the year in which sales were highest and lowest. It may also be possible to tell how these trends change over time.
These details let you know the peak purchase times. Based on this insight, you can allocate resources away from the less active periods and towards the times with higher traffic. Ultimately, you’ll be able to maximize your sales and returns from those periods.
The more dense and complex the data sets are, the more sophisticated the tools you will need to analyze the data. Besides this, you should also possess certain skills if you’re going to work on large volumes of data.
How Cloud Computing Can Help
In the old days, you could store all your data on your premises—because you weren’t generating a whole lot of it anyway. But today, you’re creating and storing more data, and you can’t hold everything at your site anymore.
This is where the cloud comes in. Instead of trying to expand your physical data centers or procure more storage devices, why not just host all that data on a cloud platform?
Any solution that enables big data computing and analysis must cater to the 5Vs of big data:
- Volume: The large amounts of data you’re dealing with
- Variety: The assorted types of data available
- Velocity: Rate at which data is collected and analyzed in your system
- Value: The importance you attach to the data based on the information that it conveys
- Veracity: Establishing the quality and credibility of data
A solid, robust cloud platform takes care of all these needs.
Here’s how.
- Scalability
We dropped a hint on this earlier in the article.
The cloud is scalable; you can get your capacity jacked up at short notice. All that’s required is that you pay for the extra compute space. And there’s an almost infinite room you can expand into. You can also scale down if you’re past peak usage, and don’t need a lot of capacity anymore.
It’s something you want to have when you’re dealing with vast amounts of data. It lets you maintain a high level of efficiency over time, regardless of the varying volumes of data you have to deal with at every moment.
- Lower Costs
Many companies are wary of the large costs associated with big data analytics. But thanks to cloud computing, they have more leeway as far as costs are concerned.
The scalability of the cloud—and the subscription model that cloud service providers use –means that organizations only need to spend on what they’ll use. They can raise compute powers to take care of a spike in the volume of data they analyze and pay just the commensurate fees.
That’s better for your budget than purchasing storage capacity upfront, only to find that it’s either too small or too much.
- Infrastructure that’s Easy to Manage
Instead of devoting large sums to CAPEX for big data storage, you can house your data on third party infrastructure owned by cloud service providers (Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS).
You don’t have to worry about maintaining infrastructure either; the managed service provider will handle this. If it’s a competent firm, they will have experts who can fix any problems that may arise.
What you do have to watch over is the cloud environment within which you work. Thankfully, some tools can help you strengthen the visibility of your cloud and simplify the management process for you.
- Virtualization
Virtualization is something that the cloud allows you to achieve. It involves creating virtual machines, operating systems, and servers, which can run on existing hardware. This lets you increase your data processing capacity without expanding your physical infrastructure. And that’s a boon for your big data aspirations.
Another benefit of virtualization is disaster recovery. You could lose a lot of data in the event of a major disruption to your networks. Virtualization allows you to retain virtual copies of that data, so you can carry on with them even if the original forms are lost.
- Frees Up Resources for Innovation
Imagine working on large amounts of valuable data for just a fraction of the cost. Also, imagine having more time to do this because you don’t have to worry about cloud infrastructure. These are gains you’ll derive from cloud computing.
These gains open up even more opportunities when they combine. For instance, your team will have more time and resources to be creative with their data analytics. They can find more patterns, design more solutions, and make better decisions based on their analysis.
Find a Cloud Solutions Provider that Supports Your Big Data Aspirations
Big data analytics is becoming a firm part of the decision making process for organizations. As your company moves in this direction, you’ll want a solution that takes the burden of managing extra infrastructure off your back.
Layer3 gives you this and more. For many years, we have provided businesses and government agencies in Nigeria with services that help them make the most of their data. From virtual data centers to disaster recovery, our products are tailored to scale up your computing capacity and keep you operating at the highest levels of efficiency.
If you would like to discuss your big data plans with experts who can support them, reach out to us here and we’ll take on your concerns.
E-Business
Jumia Replatforms its Retail Media Program to Mirakl Ads to Enhance Marketplace Advertising

Jumia, e-Commerce platform in Africa, has partnered with Mirakl to elevate its marketplace advertising capabilities by deploying Mirakl Ads, a retail media solution uniquely designed to optimize performance for both first-party and third-party sellers.
This move strengthens Jumia’s efforts to deliver more value to its sellers, enhance the customer experience, and unlock profitable and sustainable new sources of revenue. Retail media is a rapidly growing sector within the e-commerce industry, expected to reach $204 billion by 2027 with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%.
Jumia’s adoption of Mirakl Ads positions the company at the forefront of digital advertising innovation in Africa, unlocking significant opportunities to increase revenue generation. With growing usage across its platform, Jumia is well-placed to capitalize on this momentum by delivering improved advertising tools to sellers and more relevant, personalized product recommendations to customers.
“Advertising is a key growth lever in our marketplace strategy, and this partnership with Mirakl allows us to accelerate that journey with speed and scale.
“By integrating Mirakl Ads, we’re empowering our sellers with smarter tools and delivering a better, more personalized experience to our customers. It also positions us to unlock new revenue streams while deepening engagement across our platform. Importantly, this partnership supports our ambition to grow gross profit and accelerate our path to profitability,” said Francis Dufay, CEO of Jumia.
The collaboration is a testament to Mirakl’s ability to rapidly deploy enterprise-grade solutions, with Jumia launching Mirakl Ads in just two months. This showcases the platform’s ease of integration and fast time-to-value. Now live, the solution equips Jumia’s advertising ecosystem with advanced automation, AI-powered optimization, and seamless campaign management.
With Mirakl Ads, all advertisers – from the biggest brands to the smallest marketplace sellers – can now boost their sales by leveraging advertising campaigns in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Ivory Coast.
“Jumia’s decision to replatform to Mirakl Ads is a powerful validation of our platform’s ability to deliver immediate and measurable impact for leading marketplaces. By combining Mirakl’s cutting-edge retail media technology with Jumia’s deep market reach, we are enabling sellers to grow faster and customers to benefit from a more relevant, engaging experience. This partnership is a true milestone, not only for Jumia and Mirakl, but for the future of digital commerce across Africa.” said Adrien Nussenbaum, cofounder and co-CEO of Mirakl.
Through this partnership, Jumia is taking a decisive step in accelerating monetization, improving customer engagement, and advancing its long-term financial performance and profitability.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria

In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.
The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”
“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.
Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.
Major highlights of the MoU include:
- Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
- Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
- Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
- Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.
The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.
With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.
E-Business
NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.
This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.
“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.
The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.
The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.
To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.
NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.
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