Jumia celebrates 10 years milestone, promises to focus on consumer needs
The Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Mr Massimiliano Spalazzi, said that the company, in a bid to show commitment, would be focusing more on consumer needs and adapting to new demands in the market.
Spalazzi made the remark during Jumia’s 10th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday at Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said that due to the inflation in the country, it was necessary to consider consumers in the area of pricing by making products affordable.
Spalazzi said that Jumia’s goal had always been to improve people’s lives through the internet and enabling their partners, vendors and logistics agencies to do better and do more business together with customers.
Speaking on the company’s 10 years milestone, he said: “It is a real pleasure to be celebrating our first 10-year anniversary today, I am very proud and emotional about what we have achieved.
“We started from a small house in Lekki and now we have expanded and happen to be one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in Nigeria.
“We are very proud of what we have built, thanks to our customers and employees.
“To show our appreciation, we want to focus more and more on customer needs and ensure we are adapting to market demands.”
Also speaking, Jumia Co-Founder, Jeremy Hodara, said, “Nigeria has always had a special place in the business of Jumia.”
He noted that Jumia started in Nigeria and they had always believed that if the company did not strive in Nigeria, it would not grow in other economies in Africa.
He said that 10 years ago, no one believed e-commerce could work.
“And today, we are the entire ecosystem of e-commerce in Nigeria.
“Over the past 10 years of our 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 partners,” Hodara said.
He said that the company had a strong passion and commitment to women empowerment as over 40 per cent of its employees were females.
Hodara also said that more than 50 per cent of Jumia sellers were women closing the gender gap through e-commerce.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Inuwa Abdullahi, in his remarks, lauded Jumia’s effort in shaping the e-commerce industry in Nigeria.
Abdullahi, who was represented by Mrs Chioma Okee-Aguguo, Head of South West Zonal Office, said that the company had created more jobs for the youth and also transformed the commercial face of wholesale and retail businesses.
In her address, Dr Chinyere Almona, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), commended Jumia for its contributions to e-commerce growth and the Nigerian economy.
She said, “It is great news today that the coming of Jumia into Nigeria 10 years ago, revolutionised and popularised e-commerce in Nigeria.”
Almona said that the performance of Jumia which was hinged on the philosophy of quality service delivery and value for money had positioned the company in a leadership position and reference point within the industry.
She said the company’s impact on the Nigerian economy was multidimensional and profound.
