GR Diary

Tackling Nigeria’s Unemployment Challenges With E-commerce

Published

7 years ago

September 26, 2018

grassroots

By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke

Different data have confirmed that Nigeria has a huge unemployment challenge. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) pegs the unemployment rate at 14.2% to 18.8% in 2017.

Although 18.8% may be small in terms of percentage, the raw numbers are staggering. The indices of the NBS revealed that the number of people within the labour force that were unemployed or underemployed increased drastically from 13.6 million and 17.7 million in the second quarter of 2017 to 18.8 million in the third quarter of 2017.

Meanwhile, a 2017 report of the International Labour Organisation estimated that youth unemployment rate in Nigeria was at 13.41 per cent.

You can easily deduce from the aforementioned data that Nigeria is in an unemployment crisis and something drastic needs to be done to tackle this challenge. This is because economic growth and development can never be guaranteed if a large number of the population especially the youth is unemployed.

In the march to find a solution to unemployment, the private sector is playing a major role in tackling the problem. A key sector that has made arguably one of the biggest contributions is e-commerce.

Today, a company like Jumia leads the e-commerce landscape. Interestingly, a large chunk of their employees are young adults between 22 and 30 years; a positive employment metric. Beyond this, Jumia has empowered millions of Nigerians directly or indirectly. Thus, supporting the government in easing the unemployment problems.

E-commerce can tackle Nigeria’s unemployment problem

It is possible for eCommerce to compete in agriculture when it comes to job creation. Despite the dire unemployment quagmire, e-commerce has made a monumental contribution when it comes to the provision of jobs for Nigerians. Thanks to Jumia that pioneered and powered e-commerce to new heights, many persons and businesses have benefited in one way or the other.

Currently worth around $13billion (about N4.01 trillion), experts in the Nigerian financial service sector have estimated that Nigeria’s e-commerce market value could rise to $50billion (N15.45 trillion) over the next decade. This is the bright prospects that e-commerce have and if properly and effectively exploited, there is no doubt that it will overshoot the reported estimate. And of course, Nigerians will be gainfully employed because e-commerce startups are springing up daily and are attracting the attention of investors.

Reasons why e-commerce can answer Nigeria’s unemployment woes

*Low operating costs

The undeniable fact is that running a physical store costs a lot of money. By running your own e-commerce operation, one of the main benefits is that the overheads are much lower. For example, an online store requires less personnel to manage it thanks to automation and inventory management. You can also benefit from cheap online marketing channels such as social media to spread the word about your business.

*A wider audience

Since many people are now online, you have an audience who are ready to patronise you. However, due to competition in the e-commerce space, you need to get your marketing right so that your messages will reach the right target market. Therefore, you have a wider audience for your products or services than if you decided to open a physical store in a shopping mall. Additionally, your business is always open – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

How e-commerce is solving unemployment

If you want to make money and want to exit the unemployment market, all you need is a computer and a very good internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you have a white collar job, you are into business or you are unemployed, you can make some money. Also, if you can muster the financial power, you can float your own e-commerce store.

*You can become an independent sales consultant

To be a sales consultant with Jumia, you will be required to register, create your own team (a network of other sales consultants) and then start selling Jumia products and make money doing so. You can make up to ₦1,000,000 monthly doing this.

*Become an affiliate partner

Affiliate partners can promote the products on Jumia and can get up to 11% commission on every successful order made a click via your affiliate link. You can make easy money online if you own a website, blog or just any useful social media account (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc). But first, you need to sign up for the affiliate program, find products you know people really want or the products you know your website/blog readers want or the product your social media networks need. Promote the products, get people to go through your link, track your sales and earn commissions. How easy can money making get!

*Become a vendor

If you have your own products and services to sell, you can easily sell them. Jumia will allow you to list your products for sale as long as you want to sell your genuine products online. To get started, you will be required to go to the Jumia Seller registration page and sign up. After signing up, you will be able to upload your own products to sell on Jumia Nigeria. Presently, Jumia has millions of vendors that are currently selling and earning money on the platform. They are smiling to the bank.

Events

NOTAP Announces Plan for 2025 Technology and Innovation Summit

….Harnessing R&D and Innovation Potentials of Nigeria’s STI Ecosystem

Published

7 days ago

October 11, 2025

Ani Sandra

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has announced the forthcoming NOTAP Technology and Innovation Summit (NTIS 2025), scheduled to hold on Thursday, 6th and Friday, 7th November 2025 at THE HALL, 16 Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, commencing daily at 9:00 AM.

Themed “Harnessing R&D and Innovation Potentials of Nigeria’s STI Ecosystem,” the two-day summit will convene key leaders from government, private sector, academia, development partners, and the startup ecosystem to explore strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s innovation landscape and positioning the nation as a hub for technology-driven economic growth.

Speaking on the upcoming summit, Dr. Lady Obiageli Amadiobi, the director-general of NOTAP, emphasized that the forum will serve as a strategic platform to foster dialogue and action around innovation policy, technology transfer, intellectual property, and commercialization.

“Our goal is to accelerate the transformation of research and creativity into commercially viable enterprises that drive national development,” she noted.

Summit Highlights

The NOTAP Technology and Innovation Summit 2025 will feature:

Ministerial Address and Keynote Sessions by renowned leaders in innovation, policy, and technology.
High-Level Panel Discussions on key themes such as technology transfer, intellectual property sovereignty, and building an AI-ready human resources.
Launching of Project NOVA (Nigeria’s Outsourcing Value Acceleration) and promotion of the NOTAP Local Vendor Policy (LVP) across all sectors of the economy.
Workshops and Breakout Sessions on IP management, funding access, and talent development.
Exhibitions and Innovation Showcases, featuring startups, research institutions, and technology companies.
Hackathon and Pitch Showcase, for emerging innovators and young entrepreneurs.
Networking and Partnership Sessions to foster collaboration across sectors.

The Summit will also host a Special Exhibition Pavilion to highlight Nigeria’s emerging technologies, research outputs, and development partnerships, reflecting NOTAP’s commitment to bridging the gap between invention and commercialization.

Partnership and Collaborations

The event is organized by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in partnership with Crestsage Limited and collaboration with stakeholders, to ensure a world-class experience that aligns with NOTAP’s mission of accelerating technology, promoting innovation and sustainable development across Nigeria.

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, mandated to regulate the acquisition of foreign technology, promote local research, and encourage the development and commercialization of indigenous technologies. Through strategic partnerships, policy advocacy, and capacity development, NOTAP continues to play pivotal roles in advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

Events

Ortom, NOA DG, others to feature as Panelists at GOCOP 2025 Conference

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2025

Ani Sandra

Panelists at GOCOP conference

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has announced that Chief Samuel Ortom, former Governor of Benue State, will serve as one of the panelists at the upcoming GOCOP 2025 Conference.

The conference theme is “Reconciling Campaign Promises with Governance Realities: Challenges and Prospects.”

A press statement by GOCOP publicity secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, disclosed that the panel discussion will feature esteemed panelists, including Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, Registrar, Base University, Abuja; Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika,2025 Director, Institute of Continuing Education (UNILAG); and Alhaji Lanre Issa-Orilu, Director-General, National Orientation Agency.

The conference, he said, will take place on October 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

He recalled that GOCOP had earlier announced that the keynote speaker will be Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and immediate past Governor of Katsina State.

Events

Takang, Ladid Lead Africa’s Digital Sovereignty Debate At DACE 2025

Published

1 month ago

September 17, 2025

grassroots

L-R: Prof. Latif Ladid and Dr. Armstrong Takang

How can Africa remain safe and powerful in a world being rapidly redefined by Artificial Intelligence?

That pressing question will take centre stage at the 13th Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition (DACE), scheduled for October 28–29, 2025, in Abuja.

The two-day gathering will be anchored by two powerhouse keynote speakers: Dr. Armstrong Takang on Day 1 and Prof. Latif Ladid on Day 2, each bringing unique expertise to Africa’s digital sovereignty conversation.

Dr. Armstrong Takang, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), will open the conference with a keynote that situates Africa’s digital sovereignty within the broader context of economic reform, institutional innovation, and strategic governance.

A consummate professional and visionary thinker, Dr. Takang has spent decades bridging the gap between public reform and private investment across Africa and the United States. Before his current role at MOFI, he served as Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, where he led the MOFI Transformation Team.

His career includes leading Growth Alliance Partners (GAP), a pan-African firm that helped turn around several businesses to create shareholder value, and working at KPMG in New York.

He has been instrumental in designing and implementing key national initiatives such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), and the ICT components of EFCC/NFIU systems.

Dr. Takang has also chaired national ICT committees and contributed to landmark policies, including Nigeria’s Content Development in ICT and the country’s 50-year Development Plan. His keynote will highlight how digital and financial sovereignty intersect to secure Africa’s long-term competitiveness.

On the other hand, Prof. Latif Ladid, Founder & President of the IPv6 Forum and Chair of the AI & Blockchain Global Forum, brings decades of global leadership in internet architecture, digital policy, and emerging technologies.

His expertise spans across pivotal roles from IEEE Future Networks to the Internet Society, 3GPP, and EU research on next-generation networks.

Organizers say his keynote will set the tone for the conference, unpacking how Africa can assert digital sovereignty, safeguard its data, and lead in shaping the ethics and standards of AI on the global stage.

“This year’s theme, ‘Sovereign Intelligence: Africa’s Voice in the Global Digital Order,’ isn’t just a concept, it’s a necessity,” said Dr. Evans Woherem, Chairman of Digital Africa Consult. “Prof. Ladid’s keynote will highlight what it takes for Africa to remain safe, independent, and powerful in the new AI era.”

At a time when global powers are racing to define AI norms and secure digital dominance, Africa risks being left behind if it fails to act. Much of its technology remains imported, its data stored abroad, and its languages invisible in mainstream AI systems.

DACE 2025 is designed to change this narrative, by equipping Africa with the tools, strategies, and partnerships to become a proactive co-author of the digital future.

The conference will feature high-level dialogues on digital sovereignty, policy innovation, and cross-border cooperation, alongside exhibitions of homegrown startups, developer workshops, and showcases of African-built AI tools for health, agriculture, finance, and education.

Beyond the panels and showcases, DACE 2025 is expected to produce a concrete roadmap for Africa’s digital sovereignty.

“This isn’t just about technology,” noted Woherem. “It’s about agency, safety, and independence. With Prof. Ladid setting the stage, we hope to leave Abuja with a united vision of Africa’s place in the global AI order.”

With delegates expected from across Africa and the world, the two-day gathering promises to be a defining moment in the continent’s digital journey.