E-Business
How Tech and E-Commerce is Redefining Nigeria’s Marketplace

Since its introduction into the Nigerian business scene, e-commerce has become a major driver of the country’s digital economy. It has not only brought about innovative business ideas but is redefining existing businesses for efficiency and growth.
Thriving on increasing internet penetration and smartphone revolution, online sales and shopping is fast becoming a lifestyle for the average Nigerian.
The impact on business activities and contributions to economic development is even more intriguing. Here are a few examples of how e-commerce is transforming Nigeria’s market:
Boosting logistics business: Many would agree that e-commerce ushered in a new normal for Nigerian businesses by making delivery activities commonplace.
The sudden demand for motorcycles, trucks, and vans can be seen on most Nigerian roads in both rural and urban areas, as businesses of all sizes make deliveries on a daily basis. This has a cascading effect on job creation among Nigerian youth that cannot be downplayed.
Cost-effectiveness: Retailers, who make up the SME sector, are arguably the biggest beneficiaries of e-commerce technology. For existing businesses, e-commerce has become a springboard for growth.
Jumia, for example, provides a ready-made marketplace for reaching a larger audience. Furthermore, the availability of e-commerce platforms is helping in the actualisation of business ideas. Prospective entrepreneurs no longer need huge startup capital to get their business up and running.
Access to a wider audience: Geographic barriers are no longer an issue thanks to technological advancements of e-commerce platforms. From the comfort of her home, a Jumia seller can put her items in front of millions of people.
Another advantage is that it contributes to long-term profit growth. “Selling online helps me reach a wider number of people. From my shop I can sell to people in Kaduna, Abuja, Port Harcourt and that has increased my sales,” said Bukola Ogundijo, a seller on the Jumia platform.
Improves productivity: For business owners, e-commerce allows for excellent time management. E-commerce enables effective time management for business owners. Selling online frees up more time for sellers to engage in other productive ventures. “Selling online has been helpful in managing the business side.
“I don’t need to worry about warehousing and delivery. I can be in the house, looking at my phone and attending to other things while taking care of the family,” Bukola added.
Price flexibility: Consumers also benefit by saving more at the best prices. Thanks to e-commerce, consumers have a lot of options. As brands jostle for market share, pricing is a major incentive to get consumers’ attention.
Today, an average Nigerian in need of a product compares costs on many online marketplaces and chooses the platform with the most reasonable price range.
Eliminating gender barriers: With e-commerce, the gender barriers associated with business transactions are eliminated. For example, people might be hesitant to buy electronic products from a woman selling such in a physical store.
However, with e-commerce, the buyer is unaware of the seller’s gender, and what matters is product quality and service delivery. In Nigeria, 51% of Jumia sellers are women as seen in the report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Funding and capacity building: One major impact of e-commerce platforms not often empathized is their contribution to human capital development. “Jumia has taught me how to understand consumer behaviour in e-commerce; how to process orders and how to create products on the e-commerce platform,” said Jumoke Akinsanya, Founder of online store, Deeski.com.
“Jumia’s lending program has helped us grow our business to a larger size than when we first started working with them. We began with two staff and a smaller warehouse but we now have a larger warehouse and fourteen staff,” she added.
E-Business
MRA Flags AI Concerns ahead of Press Freedom Day Today

Media Rights Agenda (MRA), has unveiled a visual brief emphasizing the critical need for responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism, particularly within Nigeria’s evolving media environment.
This is coming ahead of World Press Freedom Day today.
The visual brief, developed under this year’s global theme, “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media,” explores the opportunities and dangers AI poses to media freedom in Nigeria and across the world.
In a statement released in Lagos by John Gbadamosi, its programme officer,MRA noted that AI is quickly changing the way news is produced and consumed, adding that it offers powerful tools that can assist journalists in analysing data, translating stories into local languages, and extend the reach of vital information, especially to underserved areas with limited media infrastructure.
Gbadamosi added that AI can help to ensure that essential news and information are also disseminated to local communities.
However, Gbadamosi warned that the same technology is being weaponised to undermine truth and press freedom, saying: “While AI can be used to advance journalism, it can just as easily be exploited to spread disinformation, create deepfakes, and drown out independent voices with algorithmically generated propaganda.”
According to him, “In Nigeria, journalists face threats that go beyond just physical dangers; such threats now also encompass digital, algorithmic, and systemic harms and challenges, which requires media professionals to ensure that AI enhances, rather than undermines, media freedom and that technology is used to promote the truth, not distort it.”
“The visual brief breaks down key concepts like misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, and information overload, which are increasingly shaping Nigeria’s digital media ecosystem. It also raises concerns about AI-enabled surveillance, political manipulation, and the marginalisation of community-based journalists.”
Gbadamosi stated that the visual brief also advocates support for independent media, transparent AI regulations aligned with Nigeria’s context, increased digital literacy, and stronger accountability from tech companies regarding platform content and influence.
He therefore urged all stakeholders to advocate for responsible AI usage and a free, independent, professional and vibrant media environment in Nigeria, stressing that “when media freedom thrives, democracy lives.”
E-Business
Nigerians to Pay More for IDs as NIMC Raises Service Fees

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has raised the fees for all its products and services, including charges related to data modification on the National Identification Number (NIN) database.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Kayode Adegoke, NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, announced that the updated service fees are published on the commission’s official website.
Adegoke noted that the new pricing structure for NIMC’s services and products marks the first comprehensive review of its fees in over a decade.
The statement stated that the revised pricing is designed to align with prevailing operational costs and industry standards, while continuing to ensure that services remain accessible and affordable for all Nigerians.
The statement warned its Front-End Partners (FEPs) to comply with the newly approved rates, stating that any failure to do so could attract strict sanctions, including possible license revocation.
“The new structure ensures that the quality and integrity of our services remain uncompromised. We are committed to protecting the interests of Nigerians through fair and transparent pricing,” the statement read.
NIMC urged the public to report any Front-End Partners (FEPs) found charging beyond the approved rates. Reports can be directed to the Commission’s Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit via email at ieu@nimc.gov.ng
It further reaffirmed its commitment to delivering secure and dependable identity services. A complete list of the revised service fees can be accessed on its official website at www.nimc.gov.ng.
In a related development, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), expressed sincere appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support in enhancing the National Identity Database (NIDB).
She also extended her gratitude to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and other key partners for their pivotal roles in advancing a sustainable and effective identity management system.
E-Business
PwC says AI Adoption by African Businesses will Unlock Growth

Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could boost Africa’s gross domestic product by an additional 4.9 percentage points by 2035, as the African economy is reshaped by the emerging technology.
This is according to PwC’s recently released report: Value in Motion. It is based on data-driven scenario analysis, which reveals that globally, AI has the potential to boost economic output by up to 15 percentage points over the next decade.
The global growth dividend from AI varies according to the region and depends on more than technical success – it also hinges on responsible deployment, clear governance, and public and organisational trust, notes the report.
This would effectively add one percentage point to annual growth rates − on par with the growth increment the world began enjoying with 19th century industrialisation.
In other scenarios analysed by PwC, characterised by lower trust and co-operation, the incremental boost to the economy from AI would be more muted at 8%, or in a pessimistic scenario just 1%.
The research finds that rapid reconfiguration of the economy is already under way. PwC analysis indicates the pressure for African businesses to reinvent themselves is at some of the highest levels seen in the last 25 years across six out of nine sectors in Africa.
The $150.54 billion in revenue in Africa is set to shift between companies in 2025 alone, a trend that begun prior to the recent global increase in tariffs.
PwC’s research suggests that over the next decade, industries will reconfigure to meet human needs in new ways, leading to the formation of new ‘domains’ that cross traditional sector lines.
Dion Shango, PwC Africa CEO, explains: “As the structure of the economy transforms, value will increasingly come from organisations that can connect the dots across traditional industry boundaries. By focusing on evolving customer needs and using technology to dramatically change the way business operates, business leaders can unlock a step change in growth.”
According to Google’s Digital Opportunity of Africa report, AI could contribute up to $30 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2030. Africa stands to accelerate its growth through AI as more people gain connectivity and harness technology for good, it notes.
“Across the continent, a new generation of innovators are harnessing technology to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” says Google.
In terms of AI’s impact on the climate, PwC’s analysis shows that while AI is set to accelerate growth, the costs of physical climate threats will impose economic constraints.
PwC’s economic modelling suggests that physical climate impacts could result in the African economy being over 12%smaller (globally: 7%) by 2035 in all scenarios than it would have been otherwise.
“Increased AI adoption is expected to lead to increased energy use by data centres. However, modest use of AI to drive energy-efficiency could offset this increased use of energy. PwC estimates that the energy use and emissions impact of AI would be neutral if each additional percentage point of AI use led to innovations which cut energy intensity by just 0.1% globally,” says the report.
- Telecom2 days ago
Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria
- Telecom2 days ago
Premier League Fever Builds as MTN Nigeria Stages Dual-City Watch Parties This Weekend
- General News2 days ago
How Investments in Reskilling and Trust Help Businesses Succeed in the Agentic AI Era
- Telecom3 days ago
Sterling Bank Introduces AlwaysOn, Offering Nigerians Up to ₦1 Million Monthly
- Telecom3 days ago
Banks Settle ₦160Bn USSD Debt to Telcos, Ending Five-Year Dispute
- E-Financial2 days ago
FMITI, NGX Group Partner to Achieve $6Bn Investment Target
- E-Business2 days ago
Nigerians to Pay More for IDs as NIMC Raises Service Fees
- E-Business2 days ago
PwC says AI Adoption by African Businesses will Unlock Growth