Jumia, one of Nigeria’s biggest e-commerce platforms, has celebrated 10 years of doing business in Nigeria with an anniversary luncheon where it recognised longstanding partners and renewed its commitment to putting customers first.
The celebration, which was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, had in attendance key stakeholders of Jumia’s ecosystem including consumers, sellers, partners and communities.
Themed ‘10 years together’, it presented an opportunity for Jumia to host and honour its key stakeholders for playing a role in shaping the e-commerce industry in Nigeria over the past decade. Guests were taken down memory lane with a documentary which captured the history and vision of the company from its inception.
In addition to this, three panel sessions were held featuring executives from partner/seller companies. Topics explored the future of the logistics sector in Nigeria, e-commerce as the future of retail in Nigeria, and the evolution of payment systems.
“We started from a small house in Lekki and when we started, 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 value at Jumia – to improve people’s lives through the internet, and enabling our partners, vendors and logistics agencies to do better and do more business together with customers,” said Massimiliano Spalazzi, chief executive officer, Jumia Nigeria.
“We are very proud of what we have built, thanks to our customers and employees. When we look at the next ten years, we look with confidence. We want to focus more and more on customer needs and ensure we are adapting to the market demands,” he added.
Awards were given to five stakeholders in appreciation of their collaboration and support, said to have been significant to the growth and success of Jumia in Nigeria. The categories were: Top Logistics Partner, Advertiser of the Year, Most Collaborative Partner, Best Food Partner and Longest Serving Vendor.
The event concluded with the donation of more than 2,000 motorcycle helmets to Jumia Delivery Associates (riders) in Nigeria as part of its Safe and Affordable Helmet Programme with Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
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In a keynote address, and in an effort to comment on the contributions of Jumia to e-commerce growth and the Nigerian economy, Chinyere Almona, director-general, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “The coming of Jumia into Nigeria ten 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, she added, wishing the online shopping site a great 10 years ahead.
Also speaking at the event, Jeremy Hodara, Jumia co-CEO and co-founder 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. The company has been an employer of labour in the country directly and indirectly, saying there are over 1,000 employees within its workforce, more than 10,000 independent sales agents and over 350 third-party logistics (3PL) partners.
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