Limited internet connectivity, digital illiteracy, barriers to e-commerce adoption in Nigeria’s rural areas —Report

LIMITED or lack of internet connectivity, digital illiteracy, incessant power outages and other logistics issues have been identified as major impediments to electronic commerce (e-commerce) adoption and growth in the nation’s rural areas, a recent report has stated.

The report, released by Jumia, an online shopping platform, stated that while there has been a significant rise in online purchases from rural areas, especially with a growing demand for smart-phones, home appliances and fashion items, it however stated that e-commerce will not be able to make the much-desired in-roads into the nation’s secondary cities until there are intentional and serious efforts at fixing some of the issues identified.

The report identified the advent of smart-phones as a major factor for the rise in popularity of e-commerce in rural areas, a development, it stated, has positively impacted rural entrepreneurs, offering them with increased income and business opportunities.

The report also revealed how the online shopping platform is actively addressing some of these challenges inhibiting the growth of e-commerce in Nigeria’s rural areas.

One of such, the report stated, is the company’s partnership with Starlink, a satellite internet service, to retail the Starlink residential kit in Nigeria. This is aimed at bridging the digital divide by delivering Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet to previously underserved regions.

It added that the company’s modification of its existing strategies through the combination of its online and offline operations to cater to those who have access to the internet and those who don’t remains a major strategy it has adopted in taking e-commerce to hundreds of Nigerians in rural communities, where digital literacy is limited.