eCommerce Platforms Ready to Sell Fuel Online

e-commerce platforms in Nigeria have developed channels to enable Nigerians purchase fuel for their consumption, in the wake of persistent scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or fuel and Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, that nearly paralyzed the Nigeria’s economy.

One of them is so-called Fuelvoucher service, an easy and fun way to buy fuel for personal use or as gifts to loved ones.

Powered by Fuelvoucher.com.ng, the online platform works flawlessly and gives an easy and effective way of monitoring and tracking usage.

The other is a service being pushed by Jumia.

Yemi Kuti, PR Associate, Jumia boosted that the platform has stocked diesel, putting in all efforts to alleviate envisaged challenges of the customers. 

Kuti said that Jumia “…actually witnessed increase in traffic, as regards the number of people making online purchases”.

He added that online customers were mainly purchasing rechargeable lantern, rechargeable fans, and other home appliances to cushion the effects of the fuel scarcity.

On Kaymu.com platform, the story was a slight different, as customers were actually inquiring about the availability of fuel via the platform.

Tomiwa Oladele, head of PR, Kaymu Nigeria, an online marketplace, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that, “For an online shopping community like Kaymu where buyers and sellers meet to conduct business transactions, the fuel scarcity impacted on us and our customers in a different way.

“We noticed increased inquiries from members in our social media community as to whether we had fuel for sale”.

She said that the inquiries led to a survey carried out by Kaymu on whether Nigerians will buy fuel online if it wasn’t against the law.

She said, “We found 73% of respondents stating their readiness to purchase fuel online. This goes to show Nigerian’s frustration at the scarcity of fuel and their increased reception to online shopping and the lease of life it provides”.