E-Business
Smart way to the market for Informal Retailers

It’s the digital age and a smart world. Easier ways of doing things emerge on a daily basis; thanks to technology. A lot can now be done without the need for physical presence or contact. Several business deals are being sealed virtually. Customers make purchases from anywhere and get items delivered wherever it’s needed.

Likewise, technology is making business easier for retailers in the informal sector. Without leaving the shop, retailers now restock as simple as pressing some buttons on their phones. Here are five smart benefits for informal retailers through e-commerce:
Better bargain: Prices of goods in the market are rarely stable. In most cases, it’s sharp rise in prices of goods which tends to affect retailers’ inventory, by reducing the quantity of goods that can be acquired.
Creating a network of manufacturers and distributors, B2B online platforms shield retailers from unstable prices. Further adding to the appeal, it has improved informal retailers’ access to a wider range of products to meet their customers’ needs.
Reliable delivery network : While retailers go through a lot in the process of transporting goods from the market, ordering online leaves the delivery in the hands of experts. B2B e-commerce platforms have a logistics network that makes good delivery seamless for retailers.
Ease and convenience: Going to the market is a major stressor for informal retailers. A typical market day is full of uncertainties. “Before I started ordering my goods online, going to the market was stressful and time consuming.
“As a result, I would always lose some potential customers while I was at the market. Alerzo has further improved my business by giving me a stress-free, safe and quick delivery on all my orders,” said Mrs. Dasola Eleshinmeta, owner of DASOLA STORE, Molete Ibadan.
Profit increase: Research has shown that the average informal retailer spends at least N1,000 transport fare on every trip to and from the market. For a retailer who stocks up 3 times in a week, they end up spending N3,000 every week, with an annual expense total of around N144,000.
Added to the expense of transportation is the fee paid to market authorities. If the same retailer spends N500 on this fee each time she goes to the market, she will spend N72,000 per year.
This means that each year, she spends at least N216,000 on trips to restock her inventory, this takes out a huge proportion of their profit margins. Restocking online this helps retailers to save cost and increase profit margin.
No out of stocks (OOS): One of the ways retailers build good customer relationships is by always being a reliable stop shop. Like “if she doesn’t have it, then there’s real scarcity.” Such testimonials are what give retailers a lifesaver status. Ordering for inventory online frees up time and enough window for planning against stock-outs.
Overall, B2B online platforms provide easier and safer restocking options for retailers. The beauty of it is that it’s all available at their fingertips.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
E-Business
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
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