E-Business
Konga and the $10Bn Target by 2026
By Dr. Aje Boluwatife.
The Nigerian e-Commerce sector is a much-touted lucre that has attracted a number of players.
The growing interest is buoyed by the rise in a youthful population, growing smartphone and internet penetration, the aspirational mind-set of the average Nigerian and expanding consumer power. At present, e-Commerce spending in Nigeria is on the rise. Research estimates indicate that current spend on e-Commerce is at $12 billion, with the figure expected to rise higher and even projected to reach $75 billion in revenues per annum by 2025.
Despite the allure, the reality of cracking e-Commerce in Nigeria and in Africa, by extension, remains a task far removed from the exertions of the faint-hearted.
Indeed, making a success of e-Commerce, as the experience of many players who stumbled in Africa’s biggest market has shown, demands not only deep pockets but also a huge dose of street-smartness, a keen understanding of the Nigerian market, a determination to stick to ethics and play by the rules, as well as sheer bloody-mindedness in overcoming many of the frustrating infrastructural and institutional encumbrances that have hobbled many in this industry.
Till date, the strides of Konga remain a template for many to follow.
In tracking the current laudable strides of this e-Commerce behemoth, it is imperative to recognize and appreciate the efforts of many players who have toiled but found the Nigerian e-Commerce market too high a mountain to climb. The likes of Jiji, OLX, DealDey and Efritin, among many others, have a tale or two to tell about the hard nut that e-Commerce in Nigeria represents.
Though it also has a thing or two to share about the pitfalls of playing in a difficult terrain such as Nigeria, Konga has transformed itself, under the management of its new owners – the Zinox Group – into a much sought-after entity, the beautiful bride of potential e-Commerce investors and global stock markets. Recently, Konga was reported to have fielded interest from the New York Stock Exchange as well as the London Stock Exchange over a purported listing, as interest swirled in the company from near and far. Also, feelers in the industry indicate that many are looking to buy into the business and if Konga were to list its shares today, it would probably not only get oversubscribed but also result in a unicorn valuation.
The submission of a recent panel of experts on the Konga brand is worth recalling here, with Prof. BoubaYankubah, one of the panellists, painting a picture of a thriving e-Commerce brand during the session which held in Accra, Ghana.
Prof. Yankubah was quoted as saying: ‘‘It is strange that not much has been said of how much impact Konga has had in the Nigerian, nay African e-Commerce ecosystem. But lest we forget, that is the brand that pioneered the marketplace structure in Africa which was widely replicated by other brands, not only in Africa but also by the likes of Amazon as well.
‘‘The…case of Konga as the jewel in the crown of African e-Commerce is further justified by its thriving business entities which include a licensed mobile bank, online travel agency, its omni-channel strategy, the ease with which it has resolved the thorny challenge of logistics as well as its hard-earned status as a trustworthy brand.
‘‘It is interesting that, despite the huge investment by its new owners, which from reports in the Nigerian media, are highly credible and experienced entrepreneurs, the brand is yet to follow through on rumoured intentions to list on the international stock market. If and when this happens, Konga’s valuation may exceed well over $2.5bn and we may see the emergence of a true African unicorn.
‘‘But I wish to urge the owners of Konga not to be tempted by greed and to stay true to their strategies and long-term vision for the business,’’ he had stated.
In my line of work as an analyst covering the African e-Commerce market, I have seen many promising e-Commerce start-ups flatter to deceive. Konga has stayed the course and currently enjoys the confidence of a growing number of Nigerians as the biggest player in the market.
But what is Konga doing right?
First, the management of Konga has demonstrated an extensive understanding of the market – an advantage that continues to help it navigate policy somersaults and other risks associated with the peculiar Nigerian market. This is mainly due to the experience of the current owners of Konga who are widely reported to be credible Nigerians who have been in business for over 30 successful years. Today, Konga is better equipped, more than any other e-Commerce player to take on and successfully deliver large projects or find a solution to the most difficult infrastructural challenge in Nigeria. Even if Amazon or Alibaba were to expand their operations to Nigeria, they would struggle to beat Konga and may have to settle for a partnership with them.
Two, Konga has strategically invested in building a world-class infrastructure from the ground up which has equally elevated its many offerings. In the area of technology, Konga boasts perhaps one of the most advanced technology suites in Nigeria, ranging from the multiplicity of apps driving its day-to-day operations and a reported robotics-enabled multiple warehouse deployments. Closely aligned to this is its investment in massive regional warehouses – a project that has conveniently positioned it to retain huge inventory, significantly boosted its carrying capacity, as well as its orders fulfilment capabilities.
In addition, one of the major advantages that Konga holds in its war chest is the fact that it has seemingly resolved the challenge of logistics – one of the biggest obstacles and pain-points of e-Commerce, not only in Nigeria, but in Africa, as well. Konga, I understand, has its own internally owned logistics company which, from reports in the media, has the capacity to handle deliveries to the last mile for Konga as well as for external parties. Kxpress, as the company is known, is said to have in its arsenal a growing fleet of trucks, buses, motorcycles and other vehicles which it puts to use in serving the market and navigating the traffic-challenged nooks and crannies of the major cities and hinterlands in Nigeria.
Furthermore, there is a sense that, with Konga, ethics can never be sacrificed on the altar of selfish gains. The travails of another well-known player in the industry further justifies the Konga hallmark of ethical rectitude. There is no place for cooking the books or falsifying figures to paint a deceptive picture to customers or potential investors. This is a quality that has put the business on a sound footing, especially in its dealings with all of its stakeholders.
Worth mentioning as well is the fact that Konga has remained an example of reliability and responsive customer experience. From the personal experiences of myself, professional colleagues, other industry acquaintances as well as the majority of opinions sampled, Konga stands heads and shoulders above its peers in terms of its approach to meeting the expectations of customers. There is zero tolerance for fake or substandard items on its platforms, with the company holding high its promise of making available only genuine products which it sources directly from manufacturers. Merchants who trade on its platform, by extension, also key into this tradition. Defaulters are blacklisted while issues are handled swiftly by an internal unit which has a deadline for resolutions.
Aligned with KongaPay, a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed mobile money platform, a growing chain of brick-and-mortar stores dotting Nigeria’s landscape and accounting for the many who still wish to experience e-Commerce the traditional way; as well as a number of thriving entities under the Konga stable, there is no looking back for this powerful retail giant.
It is only a matter of time before the management of Konga caves into the huge pressure of hitting the global stock market.
The world awaits with bated breath…
Dr. Aje Boluwatife is a visiting research scholar from the United States
SystemSpecs Holdings Ltd unveiled at the weekend the rebranding of its subsidiary Deelaa to Whatadeal, launching an ambitious digital commerce platform poised to transform travel, events, and e-commerce across Africa.
John Obaro, group managing director, SystemSpecs, and Fela Bank-Olemoh, managing director of Whatadeal
The announcement comes amid a surging demand for integrated digital services in Nigeria and beyond, as the continent’s e-commerce and travel sector stand on the cusp of exponential growth.
The launch event, held in Lagos, demonstrated SystemSpecs’ vision for a seamless, value-centric consumer experience.
This strategic rebrand follows the company’s acquisition of Knit Technologies, amalgamating cutting-edge innovation and industry expertise into Whatadeal—one of four subsidiaries under the SystemSpecs umbrella.
John Obaro, group managing director, SystemSpecs, emphasized that the transformation reflects an unwavering commitment to technological advancement and customer empowerment.
“Whatadeal transcends a mere rebranding—it embodies a dynamic ecosystem designed to deliver unparalleled value and memorable experiences,” Obaro told reporters.
He elaborated, “Our ambition is to ensure that whether you’re organizing an event, procuring tickets, or seeking the finest deals, Whatadeal is your definitive destination. We are also in advanced discussions with leading travel industry players to curate exceptional travel experiences across Nigeria.”
Originally introduced in 2022 as an e-ticketing and marketplace platform, Deelaa catered to both businesses and consumers.
Its evolution into Whatadeal responds to shifting market dynamics, offering an integrated solution for booking flights, securing event tickets, and shopping online.
The platform will be powered by Remita, SystemSpecs’ acclaimed electronic payment and collection system, which underpinned Nigeria’s Treasury Single Account initiative—one of the most extensive implementations of its kind in Africa.
Steering this venture is Fela Bank-Olemoh, managing director of Whatadeal and a SystemSpecs stalwart since 1998.
With over two decades of expertise spanning technology, marketing, and public service, Bank-Olemoh brings a formidable pedigree to the role.
He founded MediaVision Limited, a preeminent sports marketing firm in Nigeria, before serving as Special Adviser on Education to the Lagos State Governor from 2015 to 2019 and later as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions to Nigeria’s President from 2019 to 2023.
Bank-Olemoh articulated the platform’s ethos: “At Whatadeal, we hold that exceptional experiences and valuable offers should be effortless, not convoluted. Our mission extends beyond merely facilitating deals—we are cultivating an ecosystem that nurtures engagement, trust, and enduring value for our customers.”
He added, “Whether you’re arranging travel, acquiring event tickets, or purchasing essentials, you deserve an intuitive, rewarding experience that consistently delivers excellence. Whatadeal is dedicated to realizing that vision.”
SystemSpecs aims to establish Whatadeal as the preeminent one-stop platform for African consumers, blending convenience with competitive offerings.
With its fusion of Knit Technologies’ innovations and Remita’s robust infrastructure, Whatadeal is poised to redefine digital commerce on the continent.
How much do you trust your device memory? Definitely more than you should. According to the statistics only 33% of users back up their data regularly, and more than 77% of people have already experienced data loss.
An annual tradition which started as a simple reddit post back in 2011, World Backup Day is celebrated on 31st March 2025 to provide a reminder of the importance of backing up data. To mark the occasion, Kaspersky shares practical advice on how to create new beneficial digital habits to ensure your backups are safe.
The first question that should be taken into consideration is: what exactly needs to be backed up? The answer seems to be lying on the surface.
The more you back up – the better. Work-related documents, family photos, financial info, health records, logins and passwords, and even content shared within messengers. In fact, all of this needs to be backed up using reliable storage methods.
There are several reasons why it is recommended to copy as much data as you can.
First of all, the device on which the information is stored may simply be lost, stolen or damaged. For example, UK’s South Western Railway reports that at least 5 smartphones are lost per day on its network, which is almost 1800 devices per year.
Among other potential threats to data safety are ransomware attacks. This is a type of malware that blocks a computer and then demand a ransom for its release. In some cases, even paying the ransom does not help to restore data on an infected device.
Despite these substantial risks, in everyday life it’s almost impossible (and to some extent pointless) to back up everything. Our devices contain gigabytes of information, most of which has no value. Creating backup storages of such a scale is time-consuming and expensive.
The main advice is to rank data correctly. Try to assort the items needing to be backed up by evaluating their relevance, recency and recovery options.
If a file, record or password is outdated or may be replaced by a newer version, backup may be safely ignored. If it is a new or highly valuable piece of information, backing up is necessary and preferably there should be more than one copy.
The art of backup
The next step towards data loss prevention is finding the suitable backup method to select. Obviously, it depends on multiple factors: type of data, type of device, pricing, user’s personal preferences and habits.
The most popular backup options are generally cloud or external storage services. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. For example, cloud services give you instant access to information wherever you are, but they require regular subscription payments.
At the same time, external hard drives are reliable storages which only require one payment, but access to information on these devices is only possible when they are at hand.
Therefore, cloud storage is regarded as the perfect option for storing files and photos which should always be available in a few clicks, while external storage services are suitable for data archives and huge files, such as movies or videos which you rarely use. Overall statistics show that nowadays most people choose cloud technology as their main storage option.
Specific data such as passwords, ID or financial details require even more secure storage methods.
Among the potential solutions password manager is an option that protects sensitive personal information, prevents its loss and provides immediate access to it at any time. Automatic filling of authentication and banking data means users do not have to memorise important information and reliably protects data from being compromised.
While choosing backup and storage options it’s highly recommended to consider all the aspects. To get backing up into a real habit, the method should not only be reliable and effective, but also suitable and convenient for you personally.
Enhanced protection
As it has been already mentioned, single manual backup might not be enough to protect data from being lost. World Backup Day is the right time to remember that data might be vulnerable and take some proactive steps to secure it. Kaspersky has created some tips on how to do it effectively:
- Follow the rule 3-2-1. One of the most popular backup strategies is to have at least 3 copies of important data, store it on 2 different storage types, and make at least 1 copy off-side (cloud or external physical location).
- Set up automatic backups. Most devices and services have a preinstalled backup function, which automatically creates a backup if you forget to make a copy in time.
- Use a reliable security solution. Comprehensive digital protection with a specific anti-ransomware protection mechanism, such as in Kaspersky Premium, prevents device infection and protects your data from both local and remote-access ransomware attacks.
- Make regular checks. It’s necessary to test your backups workability on a regular basis to notice the malfunction in time and fix it.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of Interior, has announced the launch of an Online Visa Approval Center to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and reduce corruption in the visa application process.
Commissioned by the President in December, the new system ensures that applicants no longer need to visit a visa office, know anyone in the system, or lobby for approvals.
At a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2025, yesterday in Abuja, Dr. Tunji-Ojo said the visa is considered a very important document by the government because it is an instrument of migration management and an instrument of economic development.
The minister explained that Nigeria has to strike a delicate balance between national security and, of course, the ease of migration.
“And we think that it’s something that we can do and something we will do.
“We don’t have a physical Visa Approval Center. If you apply for a Nigerian visa anywhere in the world, you do so online. We process it here in Nigeria, and if approved, you receive your e-visa in your email,” he explained.
To enhance efficiency, the government has set a 48-hour deadline for processing e-visas.
“It is unprofessional and unacceptable for the Nigeria Immigration Service not to approve or provide feedback within 48 hours,” the minister stated.
“It breaks my heart that people need to lobby to even get visas to Nigeria. It shouldn’t be so. It shouldn’t be.
“For anybody that is qualified, for anybody that wants to do legitimate activities in Nigeria, such people should be able to come to Nigeria easily. And this is why we are opening our space. Mr. President is interested in foreign direct investments.”
Further, he said Nigeria is interested in partnering with the rest of the world to develop its economy but, “We can’t do that when we allow bottlenecks to hold us down. So these reforms, basically, are aimed at opening our space, enhancing national security, and we hope that the primary responsibilities of the visa scheme will be achieved.”
Kemi Nandap, controller general, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), said the NIS would fully digitize its e-visa platform and reduce visa classifications from 79 to 44 to enhance accessibility, transparency, and efficiency in the new visa policy.
She said, “At the core of this policy is the new e-visa platform—a fully digitized, centralized system that revolutionizes how foreign nationals interact with our country’s entry procedures. As part of this transformation, the Nigerian Visa Policy 2024 underwent a comprehensive review, resulting in a significant reduction in visa classifications from 79 to 44.
“These categories have been logically grouped to simplify procedures, reduce complexities, and greatly improve the user experience. Importantly, we have maintained the original purpose and intent of each visa class throughout this reform.”
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