E-Business
Jeff Bezos Trillionaire Tale and Nigeria eCommerce
By Aliyu Yakubu
America’s Jeff Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant, Amazon, is becoming a trillionaire in the midst of COVID-19 global pandemic. This is both good and bad news. Good news because it is the reward of foresight and tenacity.
Bad news because in the midst of the same pandemic, his e-commerce counterparts in Nigeria are counting losses. The difference is not in the business dexterity of Bezos nor in the poor marketing skills of the Nigerian counterparts. The difference, unfortunately, is how the two governments reacted to the pandemic and its attendant lockdown.
While the US government gave a clear signal to e-commerce companies in America to move freely during lockdown to make delivery in anticipation of a surge in online shopping, the Nigerian government did the opposite. It locked down e-commerce activities by not clearly classifying e-commerce companies and their workers under ‘essential services’.
This is the difference between a 21st century policy-smart government and a policy-dumb government. The US government anticipated a spike in online sales during the lockdown and gave free access to Amazon and other e-commerce workers. The Nigerian government was too happy to lock down e-commerce firms alongside other businesses.
Now, for the smartness of the US government, Bezos is walking his way to trillions. Imagine the tax that would add to US government purse. Imagine the number of jobs it will save when other companies around the world have either furloughed their staff or have sacked them outright.
This is a case of the absence of critical and strategic thinking in the Nigeria public ecosystem. Our leaders are not intentionally progressive. You cannot lock down a critical driver of the economy at a time you have decreed no-movement for the populace. It is also a function of low appreciation and lack of understanding of what e-commerce really means and how it works.
In the wake of the lockdown, somebody ought to have anticipated that Nigerians would resort to making online purchases, hence the overriding need to categorise e-commerce workers as persons on essential duty. The nature of e-commerce is that it’s unobtrusive, does not draw physical crowd yet it effectively services clients from its backend through the delivery channels. In this way, issues of non-compliance with social distancing and other precautionary protocols do not arise.
The paradox of the Nigerian e-commerce story during the pandemic is that they were lumped with other regular businesses and clamped with the same lockdown measure. They are not. Their staff were treated as non-essential duty persons. It took some explanation for them to be allowed to do their businesses during the lockdown. In some states, it was practically impossible as e-commerce delivery workers were either harassed or turned back from performing their duties.
For instance, some delivery staff of Konga, Africa’s fastest growing and most innovative e-commerce company, were either harassed or turned back from making deliveries. Delivery men were harassed while moving items inter-state. There were also reported cases of harassment within some metropolis. Lagos was no exception.
In Rivers State, not a single Experience Store was opened during the lockdown. Strict enforcement by the state government meant no e-commerce delivery man was allowed movement even within the metropolis.
You cannot build economies when you shut down all channels of trade. In the western world and Asia, persons on lockdown turned to online purchases to restock. Their governments clearly exempted e-commerce outfits from the list of companies that must remain shut for as long as the lockdown lasted. The net result is beginning to show in the balance sheet of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.
Comparisun, a company which allows small- to medium-sized firms to compare different business products, projects that Bezos will by 2026 emerge as the world’s first ever trillionaire, an honour he won’t be sharing with nobody, not even with Bill Gates of Microsoft whose fortunes keep growing with the birth of more technologies.
Their projection shows Bezos reaching trillionaire status by 2026. The company said their projection is based on taking the average percentage of yearly growth over the past five years and applying it to future years. Comparisun shows Bezos’ net worth grew an average of 34% over the last five years.
As of Thursday May 14, Bezos’ net worth was estimated at $143 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, which tracks the worth of the world’s richest people daily. Compared to last year, Bezos’ worth has surged by more than $28 billion. He profited heavily from the coronavirus pandemic. Shoppers denied access to physical stores turned to online stores to make purchases from groceries to gaming machines, toys for the kids and big toys for the parents. The lockdown was the appropriate time to change household electronics for most parents, just anything to fight the boredom.
In Nigeria, there were cases of security men delaying delivery for days by ‘impounding’ vehicles and keeping them for as long as they wished. Delayed delivery makes nonsense of e-commerce. One of the unique selling points of online shopping is prompt delivery of goods. Once purchased goods are delayed, the suspense dies and so does the utility of the goods. Unfortunately, this was what Nigeria’s e-commerce companies suffered during the lockdown. At a time they were supposed to win more patronage and disciples into the e-commerce family, they got stuck in resolving issues of violation of lockdown rules while their counterparts in Europe and America simply worried about their balance sheet.
Now, the difference is clear. Bezos and others are smiling to the bank; their Nigerian counterparts are counting losses. Lesson: When next you lock down a state or city, make sure that e-commerce workers are exempted.
However, beyond Nigeria e-commerce fraternity, Jeff Bezos himself must learn the lessons of his capitalist expansionism. When the news of his impending trillionaire status broke, Twitter went agog. Elizabeth Warren, business woman and Democratic presidential candidate tweeted: “While Bezos is on the track to become a trillionaire in the middle of a pandemic, Amazon is ending overtime pay for warehouse and delivery workers on the frontline. This is immoral.”
While I congratulate Bezos for his feat, I should also remind the Nigerian government that e-commerce deserves a better deal next time.
In a powerful stride towards an inclusive digital future, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is spearheading a transformative drive to empower Nigerian women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital economy.
This commitment was resoundingly reiterated by NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, at the “Innovate Her 25” conference, the 10th National Conference and 11th Annual Meeting of Nigerian Women in Information Technology.
Speaking at the event themed “Women in AI: Unlocking Resilience, Fostering Innovation and Leadership,” Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, emphasised that true innovation blossoms not in isolation, but through synergistic partnerships and collective endeavor – principles deeply embedded in NITDA’s operational ethos.
Highlighting Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, Inuwa added that inclusivity is embedded as a core objective: “Our strategic roadmap mandates that at least 40% of our programmes directly benefit women and underserved groups. We have also developed a Gender Inclusion Strategy to guide interventions in areas such as training and infrastructure,” he explained.
Further underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in the digital space, Inuwa excitingly announced that in September 2025, NITDA will proudly host a Leadership Summit on AI. This landmark event will convene stakeholders from across the African continent, fostering a collaborative environment to forge a unified AI vision for Africa.
In alignment with the conference’s focus on empowering women in technology, the DG detailed NITDA’s diverse capacity-building initiatives spanning AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. “We work with partners such as the Renew Hope Initiative to train thousands of women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,” he revealed, highlighting the agency’s broad reach.
NITDA stands ready to collaborate with organisations like the Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIT), actively encouraging proposals for bespoke programmes that cater to specific community needs. “We focus on targeted training with measurable outcomes, rather than generic approaches,” Inuwa affirmed, emphasising a results-oriented methodology.
He further spotlighted NITDA’s “Digital Literacy for All Initiative,” which seeks to equip 70% of Nigerians with digital literacy by 2027. Through strategic partnerships with the NYSC and the integration of digital literacy into national school curricula, the agency plans to train over 30 million Nigerians — with a dedicated focus on underserved communities and public servants.
Addressing critical concerns surrounding ethical AI, Inuwa emphasised the importance of developing indigenous datasets and large language models reflective of Nigeria’s unique realities: “We are working closely with stakeholders to build local datasets that safeguard Nigerians’ digital rights and ensure ethical AI use,” he assured.
NITDA is also championing mentorship for women in technology through impactful initiatives such as Women Innovate. The agency warmly welcomes collaboration with NIWIT to design structured mentorship programmes and is open to formalising such partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
“NITDA is committed to fostering inclusive economic growth through innovation. Partnership and collaboration remain the way forward,” Inuwa declared.
The session concluded with a resounding call to action, urging women-focused organisations to leverage NITDA’s open-door policy and unite in advancing digital inclusion across Nigeria. The future of Nigeria’s digital economy is inclusive, and women are at its forefront.
Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.
Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon wrote in an email to employees.
He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.
According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.
Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.
However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.
“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.
“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.
The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.
Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.
The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.
Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.
He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.
“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.
Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.
He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.
“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.
He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.
According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.
He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.
Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.
He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.
Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.
Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.
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