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Nigeria’s E-Commerce Landscape: A Catalyst for Small Business Empowerment this Black Friday

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A publication by ECDB states that Nigeria ranks 40th in global e-commerce, and is set to generate $6.65 billion by the end of 2023. Nigeria’s e-commerce landscape is said to be on the verge of a transformative revolution, with anticipated growth from 2023 to 2027 at 10.8%.

Black Friday is arguably Nigeria’s biggest shopping season, where consumers hunt for unbeatable deals. Interestingly, the unsung heroes of this retail frenzy are the small businesses powered by e-commerce platforms.

This Black Friday, we spotlight the important role of Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platforms, like Jiji, Jumia, and Konga, in empowering these small enterprises.

Small Businesses – The Lifeblood of Nigeria’s Economy

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, they contribute 48% of Nigeria’s GDP and employ over 84% of the workforce. However, these businesses often face challenges in scaling up, particularly during major shopping events like Black Friday.

E-commerce platforms have emerged as a lifeline for these businesses, offering them a unique opportunity to thrive and prosper.

The Nigerian E-commerce Renaissance

In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a burgeoning e-commerce ecosystem, with platforms like Jiji, Jumia, and Konga leading the way. This has not only changed the way people shop but has also created a thriving marketplace for small businesses.

In a chat with Majolie Obaje, PR and Marketing Head at Jiji Nigeria, on how the platform supports small businesses, she said: At Jiji, we’re dedicated to helping small businesses increase their sales and revenue, especially on special seasons like Black Friday. This is why we give them visibility to our vast audience of 12m+ users, affordable Boost Packages to make up to 50x more sales than they would unboosted, dedicated support managers, and educational resources.

“This Black Friday, we’ve also prepared special price discounts on all our Boost Packages to support their businesses. Our commitment is to continually empower small business owners and sellers to not just survive but thrive, even in trying times like now. And we’re doing this for over 200,000 businesses and sellers on our platform.”

The Empowering Role of E-Commerce in Black Friday

E-commerce platforms offer small businesses a level playing field during Black Friday. The opportunities presented by these platforms include:

  • Global reach

Small businesses can showcase their products and services to a nationwide, and in some cases, international audience. Black Friday becomes a time when local artisans can become national entrepreneurs.

  • Cost-effective promotion

Traditional advertising can be expensive for small businesses. This is why E-commerce platforms provide affordable means of promoting Black Friday deals. Thereby allowing these sellers and business owners to channel more resources towards improving their products and services.

  • Secure transactions

Platforms like Jiji, Jumia, and Konga prioritise trust and security, which reassures buyers and facilitates more successful transactions. This is especially crucial for small businesses aiming to build credibility.

The future of Small Business empowerment

As Nigeria’s e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, the role of small businesses in the national economy is expected to grow up to 10.8% by 2027. The promise of sustainable growth and empowerment of small enterprises are at the heart of the transformation.

Black Friday remains an annual reminder of the potential and impact that e-commerce can have on Nigeria’s small businesses.


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E-Business

UK Orders Apple to Create Backdoor for Encrypted iCloud Data

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United Kingdom has issued a “technical capability notice” to Apple, mandating that the company create a backdoor to access users’ encrypted iCloud data.

UK Orders Apple to Create Backdoor for Encrypted iCloud Data

This directive, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, requires Apple to provide British security officials with the means to retrieve all content uploaded to iCloud by any user worldwide.

Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature, introduced in 2022, offers end-to-end encryption for iCloud data, ensuring that only users can access their information.

The UK’s demand challenges this security measure, potentially compelling Apple to either comply by creating the backdoor or withdraw the ADP feature from the UK market.

Compliance could set a precedent, leading other governments to request similar access, thereby raising global privacy concerns.

The UK Home Office has declined to confirm or deny the existence of such notices, stating, “We do not comment on operational matters, including, for example, confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.”

This development underscores the ongoing tension between governmental surveillance efforts and technology companies’ commitments to user privacy.

 


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E-Business

Oracle Adds AI Pricing Features to Financial Software

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Oracle on Thursday added another set of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to NetSuite, one of its corporate finance software offerings, including some that might make it faster for consumers to get a price quote on purchases like custom bicycles.

Oracle has taken a different tack with AI than rivals such as Microsoft. Rather than racing toward general purpose virtual assistants, Oracle has decided to add targeted features that speed common-but-tedious tasks like entering a brief write-up of how a sales meeting went into a corporate records system.

Another such task that is common in the business world is giving a customer a price quote on a complicated purchase that might have a lot of options, when a sales professional would need to sift through materials to come up with a price.

NetSuite on Thursday announced a feature to compile such a quote via conversation with a chatbot asking what the customer wants, which can either be used by sales professionals behind the scenes to speed up their work, or directly by consumers in the case of e-commerce businesses.

“When you buy something like a bicycle, you have to configure it – figure out what parts you want and which parts work together. We all do it when we buy our cars on the web these days,” Evan Goldberg, executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite, said.

“If you can configure (products) for customers more easily, you can do more deals in a day, or each deal costs less.”

To power those features, Oracle has decided to skip the costly race to develop huge AI models and instead works with partners such as Canadian startup Cohere.

Goldberg said that Oracle’s recent agreement to build massive data centers with ChatGPT creator OpenAI could lead to working with it as well, though the two firms have made no formal announcements.

“I think you could safely say that there’s a possibility that OpenAI will be part of this,” Goldberg told Reuters. “We are eager to work with OpenAI.”

 


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IBM Exits Nigeria and Ghana, Transfers Operations to MIBB

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IBM, the American multinational technology giant, has reportedly announced plans to exit Nigeria, Ghana, and other key African markets, transferring its regional operations to MIBB, a subsidiary of the Midis Group.

IBM Exits Nigeria and Ghana, Transfers Operations to MIBB

The move, which according to TechCabal was revealed in a statement by the company, effective April 1 2025, is part of a new operating model IBM is adopting across select African countries.

Under this arrangement, MIBB will take over IBM’s local operations, customer support, and relationships while marketing and selling IBM products and services across 36 African nations.

“MIBB will market and sell IBM products and services in 36 African countries, thereby giving MIBB’s sales network direct access to IBM products, services, and support, further boosting innovation and growth in the region,” IBM stated.

IBM has been a key player in Africa’s tech industry for decades, providing critical infrastructure for banking, telecom, oil and gas, and government services.

However, its planned exit follows a trend of multinational corporations leaving Nigeria.

In December 2024, Swiss cement giant Holcim announced its departure from Nigeria, selling its 83% stake in Lafarge to a Chinese firm.

Similarly, South African grocery retailer Pick n Pay disclosed plans in October 2024 to exit Nigeria by selling its 51% stake in a joint venture.

IBM has yet to respond to media inquiries regarding the specifics of its transition strategy and reasons for the exit.


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