e-Commerce Can Limit Spread of COVID-19—Jumia CEO

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The spread of COVID-19 can be controlled if the services of e-commerce platforms are embraced by the citizens, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, Mr Massiliano Spalazzi, has submitted.

Nigeria and other nations of the world are battling to tame the second wave of the virus. During the first wave, the global economy was shut down and platforms like Jumia were the saving grace for shoppers.

But since authorities eased the lockdown, many people have found it difficult to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols put in place to defeat the contagion.

At various public places and offices, social distancing rules are ignored, causing the number of confirmed cases of the virus to rise again after flattening the curve a few months ago.

For Mr Spalazzi, e-commerce can be adopted to assist the government to limit the spread of the disease and keep everyone safe because social distancing will no longer be an issue, thereby eliminating the contact risk associated with brick and mortar stores, as people can purchase different products of their choice and get them delivered from the safety of their home.

“Online shopping remains one of the ways individuals can take precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. People are being urged to avoid large gatherings, and limit human contact as much as possible.

“E-commerce platforms possess all these features that will help customers keep to the safety culture. From the comfort of their safety, customers can shop on the Jumia platforms, make payment through online payment solutions like JumiaPay and get them delivered via Jumia Express or our contactless agents,” he said.

He pointed out the crucial role played by e-commerce platforms during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, saying, “What we have seen last year has been how relevant and important e-commerce was in serving the population during these tough times.

“We’ve seen many different situations happen from the COVID-19, which obliged people to be locked down and having to purchase their goods in a safe way.”