E-Business
Jumia Food Exit Shows Folly of Not Following Konga Strategy
The recent announcement of Jumia Food’s exit from Nigeria, its biggest market, has set alarm bells ringing among industry watchers. Dr. Fred Bongani, a former employee and founding staff, examines the fallouts from this latest misadventure
E-Commerce, despite its potential as a goldmine, remains one of the most challenging business sectors in Nigeria and indeed, the African continent.
The obstacles that lie in the path of businesses intent on cracking e-commerce on the continent are well-documented, among which infrastructural deficiencies, logistical hiccups, skepticism for online shopping and predilection for offline retail, slow adoption of digital payment, among others, figure prominently.
Nevertheless, Africa is widely regarded by experts as the next frontier for bullish e-commerce growth.
Compelling insights from recent research by the International Trade Administration (ITA) shows that Africa represents a smart gamble for interested investors looking to reap the benefits of the wave of growth in e-commerce on the continent. Titled – The Rise of eCommerce in Africa – the study bets on the exponential boost in mobile technology that is expected to jumpstart e-commerce from its current middling status to a multi-trillion-dollar industry in the coming years.
“The logic of growth on this area is pretty much based on technology jumps that do occur within Africa because of historically missing economic infrastructure, such as banks, telecom landlines, etc. Africa is forecast to surpass half a billion ecommerce users by 2025, which will have shown a steady 17% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of online consumers for the market,’’ the study boldly asserts.
Specifically, the research shows that Africa currently leads the world in mobile device web traffic generation, with 69% of its total web traffic consisting of mobile internet users as of 2021. Further, the continent is forecast to be almost exclusively mobile-based market by 2040.
Continuing, the study notes that: ‘‘Compared to other regions, as of 2021 the African continent leads mobile internet usage a full 13% above the global average, and almost 5% more mobile usage than Asian region markets. This should indicate a “mobile-first” approach to any business looking to sell online to the various African markets.’’
The foregoing is backed up by a 2017 Accenture Digital Consumer Survey which discovered that in countries such as South Africa, smartphone acquisition increased from 52% in 2016 and 63% in 2017. Some of the more technologically advanced nations like Kenya and Nigeria boast a smartphone uptake of more than 44% and 30% respectively. Across the continent, the number of smartphone users saw a nearly two-fold increase, reaching more than 226 million. This spike in smartphone penetration, the survey submits, is steering a digital revolution on the continent, exposing users to the endless opportunities the internet provides, top of which is e-commerce.
Considering these lofty assumptions, it therefore came as a huge shock when Jumia, a multinational African-focused e-commerce company disclosed that it will shut down Jumia Food, its food delivery business in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Uganda, and Algeria by the end of 2023 in a new round of cost-cutting.
Jumia CEO, Francis Dufay told Reuters that the food delivery segment has challenging unit economics and big losses, while also attributing the closure of Jumia Food to increasing competition and unsustainable cost of operations.
“There is downward pressure on the commissions that we make and upward pressure on marketing costs because everyone is fighting for customers,’’ Dufay had stated.
The Jumia Food debacle represents another signpost in a seeming never-ending list of missteps and abrupt exits by the management of Jumia since it set up shop in Africa. This includes the offloading of Jumia Travel, its hotel and flight services vertical in 2019 to a rival brand, Travelstart – a move which came a few weeks after the shutdown of its eCommerce businesses in Tanzania and Cameroon and laying off staff in Kenya. Founded as Jovago in 2013, the hotels and flights marketplace became Jumia Travel after it rebranded in 2016. Earlier in 2017, the company had sold off Jumia House, its real estate subsidiary to ToLet.com.ng, a property startup, after it failed to scale.
To start with, Jumia is a German-headquartered e-commerce platform, with its technology and product team based in Porto, Portugal, and until recently, its senior leadership operated out of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Yet, it lays ambitious claims to becoming the African Amazon – a faulty dynamic worsened by a damaging identity crisis and the importation of business principles and strategies fit for the Western world and which the management expected to succeed in Africa, a developing continent with its myriad of teething challenges. Indeed, several critics regard Jumia as an exploitative Western company that conveniently co-opted an African identity to extract as much value as possible and profit off the continent.
As one of the founding employees of Jumia, I had expressed reservations at the ease with which the early-stage founders of the company had been eased out of the business. Every business has its DNA which symbolizes the very essence, cornerstone or soul of the establishment. This ideal is often reposed with the visionaries of the business and consolidated over time as the business scales. In the case of Jumia, what we had was a wannabe e-commerce behemoth with a major identity crisis. This foundational ambiguity would prove to be one of the catalysts that hurt the business in the long run.
At the height of the Jumia-Konga battle for the dominance of the Nigerian e-commerce sector when both brands launched in 2012, one thing was discernible: Jumia was often quick to arrogantly ridicule or thumb its nose at any innovation or strategy pioneered by a rival brand, even if it was a masterstroke, although the lessons of history showed that it may eventually ape the strategy when it realizes there is a market advantage therein. Those early days of e-commerce, particularly in Nigeria where I was based at the time, was one full of hype and little substance as both giants embarked on a battle of attrition for the leadership position in Africa’s biggest market. It took the coming of Yudala which was founded by a fresh-faced varsity graduate and backed by Nigeria’s biggest technology group to make both rival brands sit up and become more intentional about the substance of their hyped-up efforts (more on this later).
In early 2014, Konga pioneered the marketplace structure that is now a major staple of e-commerce on the continent. In its usual fashion, the management of Jumia derided it as a DOA (dead on arrival) strategy. However, it soon ate its words after advice from some of us in the business who saw how Konga was already stealing a march on us. Five months later, specifically in July 2014, Jumia followed suit with its own marketplace.
Then came the entry of Yudala – a landmark development that shook up the e-commerce market in Nigeria. Led by Prince Nnamdi Ekeh who was 22 at the time and just fresh out of school, Yudala pioneered the composite e-commerce model with the fusion of online and offline – a futuristic piece of innovation that has now been adopted by other global players. Yudala’s emergence was a refreshing relief to the chokehold of Jumia and Konga. The brand, though big on hype as its older rivals, matched its words with true substance.
In addition to rolling out eye-catching fuchsia-pink retail stores across major cities in Nigeria, Yudala took on big projects which expanded the scope of the industry. One of these remarkable milestones was the first ever drone delivery in the e-commerce world – a feat which was achieved in 2015 and which predated any other similar efforts.
When in 2018, the management of Zinox, the technology conglomerate backing Yudala, acquired Konga from its previous owners, Naspers and AB Kinnevik, it was obvious to all interested parties that this was a development worth keeping an eye on. In my own capacity, I had also advised the management of Jumia, especially considering the renowned capacity and decades of experience and success at the disposal of the new owners of Konga, to keep tabs on their strategy and follow suit or even explore partnerships, if that would guarantee a path to profitability.
The dust had barely settled on the monumental news of the acquisition when the management of Zinox announced an operational merger between Yudala and Konga. Although I had departed Nigeria, I followed with keen interest how the new owners subsequently rebranded the new entity that emerged from this operational merger, slowly transforming it into a dominant e-commerce force.
It is important here to state that while Jumia decided to double down on its poorly conceived pan-African expansion and an ill-advised IPO founded on shady figures and cooked books, Konga chose to continue consolidating its growing dominance in Nigeria:
- KongaPay was repositioned and recalibrated, leading to its rating by Statista in 2021 as the leading provider of digital payment services for e-commerce transactions in Nigeria.
- In 2019, the brand added Konga Travel to its list of growing subsidiaries. A technology-driven, revolutionary online travel booking agency, the new entrant gained prominence and market relevance within a short period of time.
- From Kxpress, the management of Konga relaunched its delivery arm to Konga Logistics, expanding its fleet of vehicular assets and by extension, its capacity to not only handle Konga’s last mile deliveries but also cater to external customers.
- Konga Health, a digital health care distribution subsidiary joined the fray in June 2021. Today, the brand boasts exclusive distribution agreements with global brands such as L’Oreal and Livful, among others.
- Konga embarked on an expansion of its retail outlets and the set-up of massive warehousing facilities in regions across Nigeria, including what is arguably the biggest warehousing structure in Lagos located at Lekki
Amid all these major strides by its major rival, Jumia endured an embarrassing exposure of its IPO as a worthless sham by the popular US-based short-seller Citron, with its share price, which once traded as high as $60, now going for less than $4 today. The stubborn insistence of management in not borrowing a leaf from the Konga copybook has also seen Jumia continuously lose ground in Nigeria and in other less buoyant African markets.
The current exit of Jumia Food leaves a sour taste in the mouth, particularly for those of us who number among ex-employees of this once-grand e-commerce pioneer. In addition to remaining unprofitable over the years, Jumia is still shipping huge losses, as high as $19 million in Q3 2023.
With its share price tumbling down by the day and investors now potentially hedging their bets on the brand, how much longer can Jumia keep its head floating above murky waters in Nigeria before calling it a day for its remaining core physical goods delivery segment and struggling payment service, Jumia Pay?
The jury is out on that.
Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), also known as CPN has begun a nationwide crackdown on quackery and unlicensed practices in a bid to strengthen professional standards in the country’s information technology sector.
CPN has also vowed tougher action against cybercrime in the country.
These were the major decisions taken at its 2026 Information Technology Professionals’ Assembly and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday
Essien Eyo, president and chairman of Council of CPN, speaking at a virtual press conference, said the council would continue to enforce strict compliance with professional regulations to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s computing ecosystem.
He warned that the council would not tolerate unlicensed practice in the sector, stressing that regulatory enforcement would be strengthened in line with its statutory mandate.
“The Act makes it mandatory for all persons and organisations seeking to engage in computing and professional services to be registered and licensed by the council.
“It is illegal to engage in computing and professional practice without satisfying the requirement of registration and possession of a valid licence,” Eyo said.
He added that the council was determined to rid the sector of quackery and ensure that only qualified professionals are allowed to operate.
“CPN is committed to ensuring high professional ethics and standards, and we will continue to intensify efforts to eliminate quackery, arbitrary practice and lack of standards in the IT sector,” he stated.
Eyo disclosed that the 2026 IT Professionals’ Assembly, scheduled for May 13 and 14 at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, would serve as a key platform to advance regulatory compliance, professional development and industry collaboration.
The event, now in its 20th edition, has the theme, “Digital Resilience and Inclusion for Smart Economy,” and aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital economy and Renewed Hope Agenda.
He explained that the theme reflects the urgent need to build a secure, inclusive and resilient digital ecosystem capable of withstanding modern technological disruptions.
“In an era defined by rapid technological change, cybersecurity threats, economic disruptions and evolving digital demands, resilience ensures that digital infrastructure and institutions can withstand shocks and sustain growth,” Eyo said.
“At the same time, inclusion guarantees that no segment of society is left behind in accessing digital opportunities.”
He said the assembly would also focus on emerging digital risks, ethical technology deployment, inclusive policy frameworks and strengthening collaboration among government, industry, academia and civil society.
Eyo further noted that the event would feature the induction of new members into the computing profession and would be delivered in a hybrid format to ensure wider participation.
“The 2026 IT Professionals’ Assembly is not just an event but a strategic platform for shaping Nigeria’s digital destiny,” he said.
He confirmed that the keynote address would be delivered by Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
Also speaking, Aliu Abdullahi, vice president of Council, said the establishment of CPN was a Federal Government response to the need for proper regulation of Nigeria’s growing IT sector.
He said the council’s mandate includes setting professional standards, accrediting academic programmes, conducting examinations, regulating practice, enforcing ethics and maintaining the national register of computing professionals.
Abdullahi reiterated that all individuals and organisations engaged in IT training, computing services and related activities must be duly registered and licensed by the council.
He urged media organisations to support public awareness of the council’s activities, especially the forthcoming assembly, which he described as critical to strengthening Nigeria’s digital governance and professional integrity.
Surfshark, a Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm, has reported that Nigeria recorded about 24.1 million compromised user accounts since 2004, making it the third most affected country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The report, which analysed global data breach trends for the first quarter of 2026, showed that Nigeria recorded 281,500 leaked accounts between January and March 2026, ranking the country as the 34th most breached nation globally during the period.
Globally, the report revealed that 210.3 million accounts were breached in the first quarter of 2026, representing a sharp increase compared to previous periods.
The United States accounted for 29 per cent of all reported breaches worldwide, followed by France, India, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
According to the report, cyber threats targeting Nigerian users have continued to intensify over the years, exposing millions of individuals to risks such as identity theft, account hijacking, extortion and financial fraud.
Surfshark disclosed that about 7.5 million unique email addresses linked to Nigerian users have been exposed since 2004, while approximately 13 million passwords were leaked alongside compromised accounts.
The report noted that more than half of breached Nigerian users remain vulnerable to cyber-related crimes.
“Statistically, 10 out of 100 Nigerian people have been affected by data breaches,” the report stated.
Further analysis showed that leaked data linked to Nigerian users included highly sensitive information such as Social Security-related records, payment card details, residential addresses, and personal contact information.
According to the report, about 3,900 Social Security-related records and 1,600 payment card details were exposed, alongside 1.9 million phone numbers and more than 925,000 residential addresses.
The cybersecurity firm warned that the growing scale of data exposure reflects increasing vulnerabilities in the global digital ecosystem as businesses accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies.
Commenting on the trend, Tomas Stamulis, chief security officer, Surfshark, said the rapid integration of AI systems by companies has significantly expanded the volume of user data being collected and stored.
According to him, businesses are increasingly relying on AI-driven tools for automation, analytics and operational efficiency, leading to the accumulation of larger datasets that could become attractive targets for cybercriminals.
The report cited industry statistics indicating that 20.2 per cent of companies used AI technologies in 2025, up from 8.7 per cent in 2023.
“These AI-driven systems collect and log more detailed user information for automation, analytics, and model improvement,” Stamulis said.
He added that while artificial intelligence improves productivity and operational efficiency, it also increases the number of systems organisations must secure, thereby creating additional opportunities for cyberattacks and data leaks.
Stamulis further warned that compromised personal information often retains value for cybercriminals long after passwords or email credentials have been changed.
According to him, hackers frequently combine old and newly leaked information into so-called “combo lists,” which are repeatedly traded or deployed for fraudulent activities and identity theft schemes.
He advised internet users to minimise the amount of sensitive personal information shared online, use alternative email identities or masking services where possible, and provide confidential information only when necessary.
The report also showed that global breached accounts in the first quarter of 2026 tripled compared to the corresponding period of 2025 and rose by 22 per cent relative to the fourth quarter of 2025, underscoring the growing sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks worldwide.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has raised alarm over a new artificial intelligence-powered malware known as “DeepLoad,” warning that the cyber threat is actively targeting Nigerian government agencies, financial institutions, businesses and individuals.
The agency disclosed this in a critical advisory issued through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.NG) and shared via its official X account.
The warning comes amid a growing wave of cyber-attacks targeting Nigerian organisations, including private institutions such as banks and government agencies like the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
According to NITDA, DeepLoad is an AI-enhanced malware strain designed to infiltrate systems, steal sensitive information and evade conventional antivirus detection systems.
“The malware is distributed through a social engineering technique involving fake website error,” the advisory stated.
NITDA explained that the malware spreads through deceptive website prompts that trick users into executing malicious commands on their computers.
“Once executed, DeepLoad silently installs itself, harvests stored credentials and sensitive data from major browsers, and leverages artificial intelligence to evade antivirus detection,” the agency said.
The agency further warned that one of the most dangerous features of the malware is its ability to remain active even after attempted removal.
“Critically, the malware incorporates a hidden WMI-based persistence mechanism capable of reactivating the infection up to three days after apparent removal,” it stated.
NITDA stressed that the severity of the threat requires immediate action from both organisations and individuals across the country.
“Given its severity and confirmed active targeting of Nigerian entities, all organizations and individuals must implement the protective measures outlined in this advisory immediately,” the agency added.
The agency warned that individuals, government institutions, businesses, large organisations and small enterprises are all vulnerable to the rapidly evolving cyber threat posed by DeepLoad.
According to NITDA, a successful DeepLoad infection could grant cybercriminals unauthorised access to bank accounts, mobile money services and payment cards, while also enabling the theft of passwords, documents and sensitive personal information stored on web browsers.
The agency warned that the stolen information could be exploited for identity fraud, allowing criminals to impersonate victims for financial gain.
For organisations, NITDA said infections could trigger operational disruptions requiring complete system isolation and remediation procedures. It added that attacks on government systems could compromise classified networks and pose broader national security risks.
To prevent infections, NITDA advised Nigerians never to paste commands from websites into their computers, noting that legitimate software providers do not request such actions.
The agency also cautioned users against opening suspicious files such as “Chrome Setup” or “Firefox Installer” from USB drives and advised that all external storage devices be scanned with antivirus software before use.
NITDA further recommended enabling two-factor authentication on important accounts and avoiding the storage of banking passwords directly on web browsers.
For organisations, the agency urged companies to immediately sensitise staff about the DeepLoad threat, enable PowerShell Script Block Logging across Windows systems and review browser extensions for unauthorised installations.
The advisory also recommended blocking malicious domains, including holiday-updateservice[.]com, forest-entity[.]cc and hell1-kitty[.]cc, at firewall and DNS levels.
Additionally, organisations were advised to check for hidden WMI Event Subscriptions that could allow the malware to survive standard cleanup procedures.
NITDA said institutions that suspect infections should immediately disconnect affected systems from the internet, change all passwords from clean devices, isolate compromised systems, activate incident response teams and report incidents to the agency within 72 hours as required by law.
The latest warning has added to growing concerns over cyber attacks targeting Nigeria’s financial and digital infrastructure in recent months.
In April, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) warned about coordinated cyber threats targeting Nigeria’s financial systems and critical digital infrastructure, urging organisations to strengthen their data protection architecture.
The warning also followed the commission’s announcement of an investigation into an alleged data breach involving Remita Payment Services, Sterling Bank and other entities.
Similarly, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) temporarily shut down its website between April 17 and April 20, 2026, following reports that about 25 million documents may have been exfiltrated during a suspected cyber attack.
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