A leading e-commerce company, Jumia has reported that mobile phones demand significantly increased in Nigeria’s rural areas in 2023, representing the most ordered items by rural dwellers.
The company, in its just published yearly insight report tagged “E-commerce in Rural Areas” disclosed that phones constituted 18% of all products ordered by rural communities in the country, adding that this is closely followed by beauty products and perfumes which made up 15% while men’s clothing, home appliances and men’s shoes made up 9%, 8% and 7% respectively.
On the surging growth of e-commerce in rural areas of Nigeria, Jumia noted that over 30% of its deliveries were made to rural areas in places where choices for products were limited for consumers.
It linked the performance of rural communities to Nigeria’s young population, who majorly reside in rural areas, noting that the average age of its consumers in Nigeria is 33 years.
The E-commerce giant further clarified: “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 every day needs from groceries to electronics, fashion and more”, it added.
According to the report, cities with promising signs of e-commerce growth in Nigeria include the Southern and Central Nigerian cities of Calabar, Benin, Abuja, Aba, and Warri which have the most volume of orders outside Lagos.
It further maintained that 52% of its deliveries were to primary cities, 18% to secondary cities and 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.
In addition to its JForce agents, Jumia also reported that it had 285 pick-up stations to facilitate delivery of goods nationwide, including to the rural communities.
