Broadcasting
Jumia’s Expansion Plans Set to Dominate the E-Commerce Market in 2024
Nigeria’s e-commerce scene is ever-growing, projected to reach $22 billion by 2024. But this digital revolution isn’t confined to bustling metropolises; it’s quietly transforming the lives of millions of consumers in secondary cities and rural areas. At the forefront of this rural e-commerce push is Jumia, Africa’s leading online marketplace. By strategically expanding beyond the bright lights of Lagos and Abuja, Jumia is connecting previously underserved communities with the vast array of goods and services available online, bridging the retail gap and empowering rural Nigerians like never before.
Prior to the creation of companies like Jumia that made it possible for consumers to shop without geographical restrictions, purchases of several commodities required lengthy trips, increased costs and risks that accompanied traversing unsafe roads. E-commerce has grown over the past decade with the increased penetration of smartphones and the internet. As of 2020, GSMA reported a mobile subscriber count of 173 million in Nigeria, indicating an 85% penetration rate. The prevalent use of smartphones enables consumers to conveniently access e-commerce platforms and make purchases from anywhere in the world.
Recognizing the growing number of rural Nigerians with internet access, the company embarked on a strategic expansion into secondary cities and rural areas. This involved establishing logistical networks, partnering with local agents and businesses, and tailoring product offerings to cater to the specific needs of rural communities. Jumia launched the JForce programme — a grassroots initiative launched by Jumia to take e-commerce to secondary cities within Nigeria — to meet this need. Under the aegis of the JForce programme, Jumia has established efficient delivery infrastructure, including partnerships with local logistics service providers and leveraging community pick-up stations, reaching even the most remote villages.
Modifying existing strategies, Jumia combined online and offline operations to cater to both those who have access to the internet and those who don’t. Through this tactic, the company has taken e-commerce to hundreds of Nigerians in rural communities, where digital literacy is limited.
Leveraging the age-long art of marketing by mouth, Jumia, through its JForce initiative has bridged the digital divide in rural communities and increased accessibility to e-commerce. JForce adopts a very communal model – local sales representatives who are tech-savvy give community members who lack access to smartphones or are digitally illiterate access to product catalogues on the Jumia Marketplace platform and place orders on their behalf. Strengthening the pillars of JForce, Jumia simultaneously established more than 250 pickup stations and collaborated with reliable logistic partners to fast-track product deliveries to secondary cities and rural areas. The deliberate positioning of these pick-up stations in diverse towns guarantees accessibility to even the most remote corners of Nigeria, thereby enabling customers in rural areas to overcome geographical limitations and access various products. This initiative has been a vital way to enable many rural communities to leapfrog economic and geographical barriers, stimulating growth and development with target communities and the e-commerce sector.
But the communities are not the only beneficiaries. Through JForce, Jumia works with local entrepreneurs, training them as agents to facilitate online purchases and deliveries, creating jobs and fostering economic growth within the communities. To date, Jumia has over 35,000 active JForce agents who earn a living through commissions earned from introducing consumers to shop online.
Transforming Lives, One Click at a Time
Jumia’s impact in rural Nigeria is undeniable. Families can order essential items directly to their doorstep, saving them time and money. Jumia’s “E-Commerce in Rural Areas in Nigeria” report highlights these positive changes. It reveals a significant rise in online purchases from rural areas, with a growing demand for smartphones, home appliances, and fashion items. The report also showcases the positive impact on rural entrepreneurs, with many Jumia agents reporting increased income and business opportunities.
Challenges and the Road Ahead:
Despite the success, challenges remain. Limited internet connectivity and digital literacy in some rural areas can hinder adoption. Additionally, reliable electricity supply and efficient payment systems are crucial for sustained growth.
Jumia is actively addressing these challenges. Last year, the company partnered with Starlink, a satellite internet service, to retail the Starlink Residential Kit in Nigeria to bridge the digital divide by delivering Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet to previously underserved regions.
In the third quarter of 2023, Jumia experienced significant growth in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) for physical goods across five countries, a surge that can be partially credited to its intensified expansion into rural areas and secondary cities. With the recent appointment of a new CEO in Nigeria, the company’s focus is on driving expansion initiatives across the country, aiming to replicate the successes observed in those five countries. Doubling down on this expansion strategy, Jumia aims to broaden its reach, linking more consumers to the e-commerce sphere, extending beyond the confines of major cities and into previously untapped regions within the country.
With pillars for growth and expansion solidly set in place in 2023, it is left to be imagined what the e-commerce leader will achieve this year.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.
IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.
The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
MultiChoice Nigeria has launched a month-long promotional campaign tagged “Open Time”, offering eligible DStv subscribers access to higher viewing packages at no additional cost.
The promotion, which runs from June 1 to June 30, 2026, is aimed at rewarding existing customers, reconnecting subscribers and attracting new users across Nigeria.
Under the initiative, active subscribers on selected lower-tier packages, including Compact and Compact+, will automatically be upgraded to higher viewing tiers, with some customers gaining temporary access to Premium content during the promotional period.
According to the company, eligible subscribers will not be required to register or manually activate the offer, as upgrades will be applied automatically once subscription payments are confirmed.
In a statement announcing the campaign, MultiChoice said the initiative was designed to provide customers with access to a wider range of entertainment content and enhance viewing experiences.
“The Open Time initiative is a simple way for our customers to enjoy more of the stories they love and discover new content across genres, as long as their accounts remain active during the period,” the company stated.
The DStv Premium package, which currently costs N44,500 per month, offers access to more than 160 channels, including sports, movies, documentaries, children’s programming, news and lifestyle content.
MultiChoice said the offer applies to subscribers who maintain active accounts throughout the campaign period.
The company added that the promotion forms part of efforts to enhance customer value by providing broader access to entertainment content, including drama, sports, action and children’s programmes.
To participate, subscribers are required to make payments through approved channels such as the official DStv website, the MyDStv mobile application, USSD banking platforms and authorised payment agents.
The company clarified that all promotional upgrades would automatically expire at the end of June, after which subscribers would revert to their original subscription packages.
Industry analysts say the campaign comes amid increasing competition within Nigeria’s pay television and streaming market, where service providers are introducing incentives and value-added offerings to attract and retain customers.
MultiChoice said the initiative reflects its commitment to delivering quality entertainment and ensuring subscribers enjoy greater value from their subscriptions.
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