E-commerce giant Jumia has revealed that mobile phones were the most ordered items from Nigeria’s rural communities in 2022. The firm made this known in its yearly insight report tagged “E-commerce in rural areas”.
According to the report, phones constituted 18% of all products ordered by rural communities. It was closely followed by beauty products and perfumes which made up 15%. Men’s clothing, home appliances and men’s shoes made up 9%, 8% and 7% respectively.
Reasons for e-commerce growth in rural Nigeria
Jumia noted that over 30% of its deliveries were made to rural areas in places where choices for products are limited for consumers. It credited the performance of rural communities to Nigeria’s young population who majorly reside in rural areas. Jumia further stated that the average age of its consumers in Nigeria is 33yrs.
- It stated thus “Nigeria is home to one of the youngest populations in the world, with a good number of its population still residing in rural areas. These areas are often overlooked by traditional retailers, leaving consumers with limited access to a wide range of products and services.”
- “However, the rise of e-commerce in Africa has made it easier for rural consumers to access products that were previously unavailable. These consumers while not all technologically savvy, can leverage e-commerce to meet everyday needs from groceries to electronics, fashion and more”
Cities with promising signs of e-commerce growth in Nigeria
The report went further to provide details into the most promising regions of e-commerce trade in Nigeria. It noted that the Southern and Central Nigerian cities of Calabar, Benin, Abuja, Aba, and Warri had the most volume of orders outside Lagos. It went further that 52% of its deliveries were to primary cities, 18% to secondary cities.
Agents and pickup stations
Jumia also attributed the success of its activities in rural areas to the presence of its JForce agents- who act as local marketing channels in rural areas.
Besides its JForce agents, Jumia also has 285 pick-up stations to facilitate delivery of goods across the country and rural communities.
