in 2019, African e-commerce company Jumia sold products to more thn 6 million consumers across the continent, with an estimated transaction or lead every two seconds. However, growth of e-commerce in Africa is hindered by low connectivity, particularly among women. In Jumia's home market of Nigeria, only 21 percent of Women and 38 percent of men have formal internet access. This case study highlights Jumia's Women and Youth Empowerment Program- an intiative that aims to build the local e-commerce market in Nigeria by equipping women and Nigerians younger than age 30 with the training support needed to help them earn additional income throught eCommerce.
Impact / Outcome
By providing virtual storefronts, targeted training, and value-added services to fulfill deliveries, Jumia has increased access to goods, services, and jobs across Nigeria. The WYE Program takes this to another level by allowing Nigerians with limited internet access to also earn from the platform economy. Within three months of launching the program’s first phase in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos, in June 2019, more than 1,000 Nigerian youths joined the program’s in-person and online training sessions. Of these trainees, 277 women— approximately 30 percent—would go on to sign up. Collectively, these women were able to refer an additional 878 women across Nigeria within the three-month period.
Funding sources
Private
Key Metrics
Equip women with the training and support needed to help them earn additional income by selling products and on online platforms
Operating model
Fully privateYear published
01 January 2020 
International Finance Corporation (IFC)