Jumia marks 10 years in Nigeria, employs 1000 workforce

Electronic commerce platform, Jumia clocked 10 years of service in Nigeria and informed that in the last one decade, it directly employed over 1000 and more than 10,000 independent sales agents and over 350 third party logistics (3PL) partners.

At the event on Wednesday in Lagos, with the theme: ‘10 years together’, the eCommerce platform assured of improved services and further expansion into every part of the country.

In his opening remark, the Chief Executive Officer, Jumia Nigeria, Massimiliano Spalazzi, said, “It is a real pleasure to be celebrating our first 10-year anniversary today, I am very proud and emotional of what we achieved all together.

“We started from a small house in Lekki and we didn’t know what would have happened next, but we knew very well what we wanted to achieve, which today still stands as the number one company. Our aim is to improve people’s lives through the internet and enable our partners, vendors and logistics agencies to do better and do more business with customers.

“We are very proud of what we have built, thanks to our customers and employees. When we look at the next 10 years, we look with confidence. We want to focus more on customer needs and ensure we are adapting to the market demands.”

In her keynote address, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chinyere Almona, commended the company for revolutionising eCommerce in the country.

“It is great news today that the coming of Jumia into Nigeria 10 years ago, revolutionised and popularised e-commerce in Nigeria. The performance of Jumia, which is hinged on the philosophy of quality service delivery and value for money, has positioned the company in a leadership position and reference point within the industry.

Your impact on the Nigerian economy is multidimensional and profound. Jumia is not only the largest e-commerce platform in Nigeria, but the most innovative providing trading opportunities for thousands of sellers to connect with millions of consumers in Africa. On a joyous note, I wish you a great 10 years ahead,” Almona stated.

Describing the Nigerian journey for Jumia, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Jeremy Hodara, said, “Nigeria has always had a special place in the business of Jumia; this is where we started, and we always said if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere in Africa, which has proven true. With that in mind, we don’t take for granted where we are today. Ten years ago, no one believed e-commerce could work, but we are here today and what we have always been proud of at Jumia is that we are a marketplace. We don’t do everything ourselves, we do it with our partners – we are not only proud of where Jumia is but where the entire ecosystem of e-commerce is in Nigeria.

“Over the past 10 years of its journey in Nigeria, Jumia has partnered with both international and local brands offering thousands of products to the Nigerian consumer. Jumia’s impact on communities, women entrepreneurs, youths and the economy remain evident. The company has been a huge employer of labour in the country directly and indirectly as there are over 1,000 employees within its workforce, more than 10,000 independent sales agents and over 350 3PL partners. The company has a strong passion and commitment to women empowerment as over 40 per cent of its employees are women and more than 50 per cent of Jumia sellers are women closing the gender gap through e-commerce.”