E-Business
Need IT: Don’t Ask CIO for Advice-Report
When business unit mangers in CEE need IT, they increasingly use IT suppliers as informal consultants. According to a recent survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) of non-IT managers in Central and Eastern Europe, nearly two-thirds of line-of-business (LoB) managers speak directly to IT suppliers at the earliest stages of solution consideration. Moreover, 35% reach out to IT solutions providers before they begin formal decision procedures.
IDC notes that line-of-business leaders are increasingly savvy when it comes to IT. “Corporate leaders have stopped asking if they can do something new or better with IT,” said Mark Yates, research manager with IDC. “Instead they ask, Why can’t it be done right now? Marketing and sales managers, operations directors, HR directors, and heads of finances – when they get an idea for improving their business unit, they want the app to be ready to go.”
This is where the IT suppliers come in. Suppliers worth their salt have worked with scores or even hundreds of organizations.
They have encountered multiple compatibility issues and helped their customers solve a variety of business problems through the use of IT.
It is true that those same IT suppliers will say that their solutions are the best, and overly aggressive salespersons are likely to spend too much time pitching their products.
But LoB managers are willing to put up with this (within limits), to take advantage of supplier expertise.
The IDC survey also reveals that lines of business often pay for their own IT. Around 27% of respondents say IT projects are funded out of departmental budgets, rather than the company IT budget.
While this number is only 15% in the Czech Republic and 17% in Hungary, it soars to 38% in Romania and 39% in Poland (in North America, this number is even higher).
This budgetary split is also supported by IDC’s recently released semiannual spending guide focused on lines of business, which forecasts a significant increase in LoB contributions to IT spending over the next five years.
The shift in influence over IT decisions appears to be largely amiable. The IDC survey shows that 48% of respondents report that they have a cooperative relationship with the IT team.
Another 28% say that the IT team is supportive, taking requests seriously and using a transparent approach to assessing their viability.
Moreover, roughly 41% of IT projects requested or sponsored by lines of business are jointly led by the LoB and the IT department.
“Forward-looking CIOs see the writing on the wall,” said Yates. “They know they cannot be all things to all people – they do not have the time or the expertise. Like many IT suppliers, CIOs are therefore migrating either consciously or subconsciously to a platform model, whereby they create an IT ecosystem that allows lines of business to leverage IT for tools development, application deployment, and larger-scale innovation.”
Additional insights from the survey include:
(Lack of) leadership is a primary challenge for lines of business when it comes to IT decisions;
Command-and-control and indifferent IT departments still account for 17% of IT departments in CEE;
Operations management and BI/dashboards are the most common IT projects led exclusively by LoBs;
Around 13% of IT projects are led by business units alone – without IT involvement and
In terms of achieving goals, organizations in less-developed markets report more than twice as many obstacles as those in more developed ones.
Jumia Nigeria has reaffirmed its role as one of the leading forces driving the adoption of e-commerce in Nigeria, saying sustained investment in consumer trust, local logistics and digital infrastructure has helped expand online shopping while laying the foundation for Africa’s broader digital commerce ecosystem.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Temidayo Ojo, said the company’s experience over the years shows that building consumer confidence remains the single most important factor in accelerating e-commerce adoption across the continent.
According to him, while millions of Nigerians have embraced online shopping, significant opportunities still exist to bring many more consumers into the digital marketplace through stronger consumer protection, seamless payment systems and supportive public policies.
Ojo noted that Jumia’s growth has mirrored the increasing acceptance of e-commerce in Nigeria, with the company consistently investing in technologies, logistics capabilities and customer experience initiatives that have made online shopping more accessible, convenient and reliable for consumers.
He explained that one of the biggest challenges facing digital commerce remains consumer trust, particularly among first-time online shoppers who are unable to physically inspect products before making purchases. To address this, Jumia has continuously strengthened its customer experience through reliable delivery, transparent order tracking, quality assurance and responsive dispute resolution processes that encourage repeat purchases and long-term confidence in online retail.
“Trust is the currency of digital commerce,” Ojo said, adding that stronger consumer protection frameworks across African markets would further accelerate the growth of the sector by giving consumers greater confidence whenever issues such as payment disputes, delayed deliveries or product quality concerns arise.
Beyond consumer confidence, Ojo identified fragmented payment systems as one of the major obstacles limiting intra-African digital trade. Despite significant innovation within Africa’s fintech ecosystem, varying regulations and limited interoperability continue to make cross-border transactions more complex than necessary.
He called for greater harmonisation of payment frameworks across the continent, noting that seamless digital payments would make it easier for businesses to scale beyond their domestic markets while allowing consumers to transact effortlessly across borders.
Ojo also emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector in creating an enabling environment for digital businesses. According to him, coordinated policies and regulatory certainty would accelerate investment, encourage innovation and strengthen confidence in Africa’s digital economy.
As one of Africa’s largest e-commerce platforms, Jumia sees regional integration as a significant growth opportunity. The company already connects tens of thousands of merchants with consumers across several African markets and believes improved cross-border trade policies would enable many more local businesses to reach new customers beyond their national boundaries.
Such integration, he said, has the potential to unlock access to a combined consumer market of more than 500 million people, creating new opportunities for African enterprises to trade with one another and strengthen the continent’s digital economy.
He added that while many first-time shoppers initially prefer cash-on-delivery because of perceived risks, their confidence in digital payments increases significantly after experiencing reliable service, quality products and efficient deliveries.
According to Ojo, Jumia’s journey reflects the broader evolution of e-commerce in Nigeria, one driven by sustained investments in trust, technology and local partnerships. He maintained that with stronger consumer protection, harmonised regulations and deeper collaboration between governments and the private sector, Africa is well positioned to unlock the next phase of digital commerce growth.
Africa’s leading technology distributor Powerhouse, TD Africa, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cybersecurity awareness and digital resilience by sponsoring the 3rd Annual Secure 360 Summit Nigeria 2026, hosted by global cybersecurity leader Check Point Software Technologies, as Gold Sponsor.
Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa
This year’s summit was held in Abuja and Lagos, bringing together key stakeholders from across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
Now in its third edition, the Secure 360 Summit has evolved into one of Nigeria’s premier cybersecurity forums, bringing together Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), IT Directors, and senior technology leaders from the financial services, telecommunications, enterprise, energy, and public sectors to address today’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
Speaking on the significance of the summit, Kingsley Oseghale, Country Manager, Check Point Nigeria, emphasized the need for stronger collaboration in tackling emerging cyber risks. “Cybersecurity has become a business priority rather than just an IT concern.
“Through the Secure 360 Summit, we continue to provide a platform for industry leaders to exchange insights, strengthen partnerships, and explore innovative approaches to securing today’s digital economy.
“We are pleased to have TD Africa as a valued partner in driving cybersecurity awareness across Nigeria.”
In her remarks, Chioma Chimere, Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa, applauded Check Point for creating a platform that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing businesses and individuals. “Cybersecurity is everyone’s business. We owe it to ourselves, our organisations, and our communities to remain security-conscious in an increasingly connected world.
“At TD Africa, innovation drives everything we do, and innovation can only thrive in a secure environment.
“This is why we are proud to support initiatives like the Secure 360 Summit that promote knowledge sharing and strengthen our collective cyber resilience.”
The summit featured expert-led sessions on emerging cyber threats, artificial intelligence, cloud security, ransomware, and strategies for building resilient digital infrastructures, equipping participants with practical insights to navigate today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Through its continued partnership with global technology leaders like Check Point, TD Africa remains committed to empowering businesses across Africa with world-class cybersecurity solutions, fostering industry collaboration, and driving the continent’s secure digital transformation.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled in the national identity database before the end of 2026, according to Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer of the agency.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general and chief executive officer, NIMC
Coker-Odusote, who appeared on Channels Television, said the directive forms part of the federal government’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national identity system capable of supporting effective governance, planning, and service delivery.
“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she said.
According to her, NIMC is working with partners under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project to accelerate nationwide enrolment.
“What we have done is we have partnered through the World Bank ID4D project with front-end partners. They are part of the digital identity ecosystem. These are private citizens that we’ve enabled and given jobs to enrol citizens on our behalf,” she explained.
She stressed that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains a unique identifier, ensuring that every individual is registered only once.
“That’s why it’s called a unique identifier, so that you’re only enrolled once,” the NIMC DG added.
Coker-Odusote said Nigeria’s actual population remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 250 million, making a comprehensive identity database essential for national planning.
“It is estimated that we’re 200 million. When we’re done enrolling, we will then know the actual numbers that we have. Some estimates say 230 million, while a few people say 250 million.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have? We have been mandated by Mr President to go down to the community levels to enrol every single Nigerian”, she said.
Responding to concerns about whether an individual could obtain multiple identities by registering in different locations or under different names, the NIMC boss said the commission’s biometric verification system prevents such occurrences.
She explained that while the previous system could accept duplicate enrolments before detecting them later, the current process automatically identifies and invalidates multiple registrations.
“The legacy system had no way of verifying at the front end whether you had already been captured. Once the record comes into the system, it flags it as a duplicate or that the person already exists in the database.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated,” she said.
The NIMC DG added that biometric verification, including fingerprints and facial recognition, makes it virtually impossible for one person to maintain multiple identities.
“Absolutely. One of the things that this Act has done is to cement our role in capturing biometrics. Private and public sector organisations will no longer capture biometrics independently. They will validate identities through API integration with NIMC.
“The telcos are already doing that with us. If you need a SIM card, they capture your facial biometrics, which are matched against our database in real time to confirm that you are who you claim to be. We’re using biometric validation to tighten security around identity confirmation,” she said.
The remarks come weeks after Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law on June 26, repealing the 2007 legislation.
The new law reinforces the “One Person, One Identity” policy by making the NIN the country’s foundational identity credential for accessing government and essential private services, including banking, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, land transactions, and consumer credit.
It also introduces stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations and unauthorised access to personal identity data, while strengthening data privacy protections and granting NIMC wider powers to investigate identity-related offences.
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