E-Business
E-Commerce for All: Jumia’s Role in Bridging the Digital Divide
E-commerce today has become as pervasive as universal languages and global trends. Yet, as far-reaching as this commercial phenomenon is, there remains a segment of society that has not experienced the thrill of shopping virtually and fast home delivery services. This segment is largely situated in rural communities, locations that are not yet immersed in the global digital economy.
While inhabitants of these rural communities are still largely underserved when it comes to e-commerce, Jumia — Africa’s leading online marketplace — has been making inroads into these regions, taking e-commerce and its advantages to the doorsteps of people who were previously overlooked.
Localising E-commerce
The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies, particularly the internet, and those who do not. It’s a divide that extends beyond mere connectivity; it encompasses disparities in digital literacy, access to devices, and opportunities for economic participation. While the world has witnessed exponential growth in internet penetration, vast segments of the population, particularly in emerging economies, remain excluded from the digital revolution. The digital economy offers a plethora of opportunities, from e-commerce to remote work, providing individuals with the means to participate in the global marketplace. By enabling access to digital platforms, economies can thrive, creating a more equitable distribution of wealth.
In 2o23, Jumia released its “E-commerce in Rural Areas” report — a document that details Jumia’s efforts in making e-commerce easily accessible to everyone, regardless of geographical location and purchasing power. According to this report, one tactic Jumia leverages so effectively is one most Nigerians have experienced at some point — grassroots activations or in Jumia terminologies, the JForce.
Launched in 2016, JForce is a network of over 40,000 independent sales consultants that help thousands of Nigerians in rural communities surmount the digital divide. Through the Force, Jumia leverages a communal, offline marketing approach that enables individuals without access to the internet to access Jumia’s sprawling catalogue of products.
Eliminating Logistic Barriers
Supplying the other half of the e-commerce equation, Jumia also established pick-up stations and forged partnerships to surmount logistic challenges to rural communities. More specifically, the online marketplace brand set up 250+ pick-up stations and established alliances with several third-party logistic partners to facilitate product delivery to secondary cities and rural areas.
The strategic placement of pick-up stations across various towns ensures that inhabitants of even the most remote corners of Nigeria are not relegated. This initiative has been a viable pathway to help rural communities overcome geographical limitations and tap into the global economy, effectively enriching these communities.
Investing in the Local Economy
Further underscoring Jumia’s drive for accessibility and inclusivity, Jumia has invested in training local entrepreneurs as agents to bolster their income through its commission structure. Through this tactic, the company has created many jobs and business opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, fostering economic growth within these communities. As a testament to the impact of this strategy, Jumia has thousands of individuals signed up as JForce agents in these regions that were once cut off from global commerce — bolstering both the economic powers of denizens and the targeted communities as a whole.
According to the “E-commerce in Rural Areas” report, Jumia’s efforts at bridging the existing digital divide have been felt not only by rural entrepreneurs but also by families. The report reveals that about half of orders made on the Jumia marketplace platform, and delivered through its impressive network of pick-up stations and logistic services, are bound for either rural areas or secondary cities (23% rural areas, 22% secondary cities in 2023). Families in these regions are taking advantage of Jumia’s extensive catalogue of over 50 million products and on-ground agents, saving themselves time and money while ordering essential items either directly to their doorsteps or nearby pick-up stations.
Jumia’s strategies have undoubtedly had a far-reaching impact. Since launching its aggressive crusade to take e-commerce to underserved communities, people who had limited to no digital literacy have had opportunities to participate in the global digital ecosystem. Now, more individuals can learn and harness skills such as online shopping, online payments, and navigating e-commerce platforms that have proven not only useful for personal interests but also for increasing their incomes and purchasing power. By promoting digital inclusion and literacy, Jumia helps bridge the digital divide and enables communities to fully participate in the benefits of the digital age.
Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.
China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.
The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.
“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.
The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.
It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.
Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.
Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.
Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.
A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.
“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.
Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.
Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.
It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.
Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.
According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.
NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”
The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.
The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.
The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.
In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.
“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.
Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.
“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.
He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework. He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.
According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.
Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.
“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”
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