Tijani: e-Commerce Has Potential to Drive Nigeria’s Economic Growth, Trade Integration

Emma Okonji

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has said Nigeria’s e-Commerce has the potential to drive the country’s economic growth and regional trade integration, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), if properly harnessed.

The minister who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said: “E-commerce holds a central place in the global economy, and Nigeria, with its dynamic entrepreneurial spirit, has the potential to lead in this space. However, realising this potential requires a comprehensive approach to addressing the logistical and infrastructural challenges that hinder the seamless movement of goods and services, particularly in the underserved and rural areas.”

The minister who was represented by the Postmaster General of the Federation (PMG), Tola Odeyemi, said the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), has an unparalleled physical presence across Nigeria, with over 1,000 post offices and numerous distribution centres, many of which are currently underutilised.

“Leveraging NIPOST assets to support logistics and delivery, while integrating them with digital platforms, offers a transformative opportunity to create a nationwide logistics network that will make e-commerce accessible across Nigeria’s 36 states, significantly boosting inclusion and accessibility in underserved regions,” Tijani said.

The PMG, in her welcome address, stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders to enable businesses and Nigerians benefit from the huge potential of e-Commerce. 

Speaking to journalists on the sideline, while addressing the challenges around logistics in e-Commerce business, the Postmaster General said the challenges have hindered e-Commerce growth in |Nigeria, and called for collaboration among stakeholders to address the identified challenges.

“So in terms of the challenges being faced by industry players, particularly in the area of infrastructure, is one of the reasons why we are gathered as stakeholders to proffer solutions. To ease some of the challenges, NIPOST is migrating from  an analog to a digital licensing process, which will be ready second quarter of this year. Digital licensing will enable people to track and know the status of their licenses. The Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department (CLRD) of NIPOST, is working with Ministry of Transport, local government, authorities, to address ease of movement for all courier riders across the country,” Odeyemi said.