There is no easy path to making money. You have to work extremely hard and even engage in additional jobs that can sometimes be stressful to earn a living. However, with the gig economy becoming ever more popular, you can still keep your 9 to 5 job and still earn some extra income without sweating. You only need a good internet connection.

In Nigerian parlance, it is often referred to as a side hustle.

A gig economy is a free market system in which temporary positions are common and organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. Since they are short-term engagements, you can easily perform the given task at your convenience.

In fact, the gig economy has been scaled to a whole new level where you can simply advertise your skills, talent and what you can offer to prospective clients. If the client likes your profile, you will be contacted. In this case, you do not need to glide from one website to another in search of gigs.

Today, there are thousands of sites where you can find short-term gigs or advertise your skills. They include Fiverr, Freelancer.com and locally, Jumia Production Services. Jumia as an ecosystem debuted Jumia Production Services to enable service providers to reach more clients.

The service providers have access to more than 10,000 vendors and they also get social media service boost. If you are a service provider in any of the following categories: Content, Freelance Photography, Graphics Design, Search Engine Optimisation, Product Upload, Makeup and Digital Marketing, do not hesitate to signup.

The opportunities in the gig economy are endless. But, there are some strategies you need to know or have at your fingertips to be successful in the gig economy. We share some of these strategies.

Show versatility

The gig economy is very competitive and only the best will be contacted. While it is important to know your areas of strength, the gig economy requires that you also show utility and versatility. The days of "I only do this" has past. It is important to display your ability to flex within your field of expertise and embrace changes in technology or the evolution of the way clients utilise your services.

Focus on personal branding

Thriving in the gig economy requires more than just your subject matter expertise. The key to standing out in a crowded marketplace is to communicate your core values and benefits persistently. In other words, you need to have a solid personal branding strategy in place. To unearth your strategy, ask yourself what it is that you are particularly good at. What do you want to be known for?

Build on referrals

If you're in a heavily saturated industry, it can be hard to market and sell your gig. On the other hand, it is often difficult for consumers to determine who to buy from when the market is saturated. Encourage clients to offer referrals and testimonials to help get other clients. Typically, their referrals will have some background information about you and will be easier to work with.

Take deadlines seriously

Deadlines are sacred. Failure to deliver jobs on deadline can be very fatal to being a success in the gig economy. Clients do not want to deal with someone that disregard deadlines. If you cannot meet the deadline, ensure you inform your clients and they may be magnanimous enough to extend it for you. Ensure that this deadline extension does not become a trend.

Don't allow it to affect your 9-5

The gig economy is quite flexible and as a result, many get carried away that it begins to affect their 9-5. If you do not want to make your freelance job your main source of income, do not allow it to affect your full-time job. Ensure you find a balance.

…...customers to enjoy up to 70% discount on hotel and flight booking

The managing director of Jumia’s hotel and flight marketplace, Omolara Adagunodo has said the company’s Black Friday campaign which promises to offer huge discounts to customers on hotel and flight services bookings will promote domestic tourism in the country. She made the announcement at a press conference in Lagos.

Adagunodo said that Black Friday has made quantifiable and countless contributions to Nigeria's travel industry since inception adding that it has encouraged many Nigerians to travel more at a cheaper cost.

“Due to Black Friday, Nigerians now schedule their travel during the period so that they can enjoy the amazing discounts on offer,” she added.

Expatiating on the deals on offer, Adagunodo said: "We have negotiated the best black Friday hotel & flight deals for Nigerians. We have super deals for all categories of hotels including Ibis Hotel, Lilly Gate, Sun Heaven Hotels & Resort Ikoyi, Virgin rose Resort, Southern Star, Westwood, Ibom golf, Swiss International and Beni Gold and customers will enjoy up to 70% off their booking on both mobile and web.

For flights and packages, we have also bargained the most affordable rate and if you could recall, we recently launched the first flight marketplace in Africa in partnership with Amadeus. This to ensure that we offer the most affordable flight rates during Black Friday and beyond."

About Jumia

Jumia aims at creating a connected digital Africa to improve people’s lives through the internet and technology. Our mission is to connect African consumers and entrepreneurs to do better business together. Jumia has created a sustainable ecosystem of digital services and infrastructures through online and mobile marketplaces and classifieds to expand your horizons, now partnering with more than 50,000 local African companies and individuals. Founded in 2012, with a presence all over Africa, the group has MTN, Rocket Internet, Millicom, Orange & Axa as investors.

On your marks, Get Set...Shop! Who will win the shopping race during the biggest shopping festival of the year? A million naira question that will be answered between the 4th and 30th of November.

Black Friday is back and Nigerians are gearing up for it so that they can receive the best deal. Of course, this is what Black Friday is all about! Getting the best deal on groceries, food, household items, flight, packages and much more.

And you know, Jumia, Nigeria's No 1 shopping destination is ready and prepared for the Black Friday onslaught with over 4 million products on offer, flash sales, treasure hunt, vouchers, up to 70% off hotel bookings across Nigeria and most affordable flights! If you have not caught the Black Friday cold already, you must be balling and dulling.

However, there is no need to do gra gra or dull yourself! You have to be smart when it comes to Black Friday shopping on Jumia so that you will enjoy the best discounts. We are going to reveal the secrets right now. Make sure you do not tell anyone! Leggo!

Make a list beforehand

For this Black Friday, Jumia is offering over 4 million products to Nigerians for purchase. And every one of these products is discounted. If you do not want to be confused and spend on what you do not really want, you should make a shopping list beforehand. This is because once the deals start to appear, it's easy to get swept up in the hype and go on a spending spree.

Check the Ads

You can find ads of Jumia Black Friday both offline and online. Hence, do not hesitate to take a look at the ads and make a plan for which items you want to buy. Because stock can run out fast on the best deals, prioritise your purchases and plan what you want to buy and when it will be available.

Make a budget

Getting great deals is a positive thing, but overextending yourself financially is not. If money is tight, an important feature of your Black Friday planning should be making a budget and ensuring that you stick to it. Budgeting might not be the most fun or glamorous thing to do but will help you out enormously in the long run.

Use social media

If you want real-time updates on Black Friday sales and deals, the best place to go is social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can follow Jumia on Twitter to find bargains on household items, video games, consoles, and accessories.

Check out immediately

The turnover rate during Black Friday is very high. Before the flip of your fingers, the product with a fantastic deal would have been sold out. Hence, as soon as you decide to buy a product or book a hotel, try to check out and pay immediately. This is to avoid stories that touch!

When it comes to retail, the African continent is not lagging behind nor is it playing catch up. So, if you mention the big retail and ecommerce companies in the world like Amazon, Walmart, Alibaba, Flipkart and eBay, the African continent would be represented. You must include ecommerce platforms like Jumia, Takealot, BidorBuy and others. In fact, in the case of Jumia, it has been tagged the Alibaba of Africa. There is no doubt that the future of African retail will definitely be led by local retail companies.

There are already countless reports out there that capture the region’s economic growth rates, e-commerce penetration, experiential retail and millennials’ shopping habits. As local companies utilize online and offline channels, Africa is primed to educate the rest of the world about the ultimate retail experience. We discuss the trends that will fuel the next winning retail innovation. These trends point out where shopper expectations are headed to, and what they will start demanding from you.

More focus on customer experience

Over the years, quite a number of brick and mortar stores in certain countries have closed shop. At the same time, online retail platforms have also come on board to disrupt the business space in the African continent. These have forced many retailers to offer a customer experience that meets or exceeds customer expectations. In fact, leading retailers are taking advantage of their online reach to maximise the experience and the real-life interactions customers have.

Use artificial intelligence

Retailers are discovering the value that AI can bring to their business. According to the research firm, Garner Inc, they predicted that by 2020, 85 per cent of customers interactions would be managed without human involvement. It will be common for chatbots to manage customer service queries and to make intelligent purchase recommendations. Jumia is already taking the lead here with Jumia Bot. So, whether you are a food lover, a world traveller or a shopping addict, Jumia Bot is ready to assist.

More attention to consumers who make value-based judgments

Customers are becoming more sophisticated and they now make informed decisions. AI has given rise to a new breed of customers who make value-based judgements about what to buy and where to shop. They are very concerned about the origin of products. This is leading many brands and retailers to focus more on what they have to offer these customers.

Increased focus on real-time response, instant gratification

Since the retail space is very competitive, the customer now has so many options to choose from. So, when they make demands, they expect it to be met immediately or else they move on to the next retailer. Today, well-performing retailers like Jumia have changed their businesses to adapt to consumer demands.

Trust of home-grown platform

Amazon, eBay and other foreign online retail companies have been looking for ways to enter the African retail market. But it has been a bit difficult because Jumia is already on the ground. Over the years, Jumia has studied and understood the complexities of the African market and it is offering services based on this. As a result, a lot of Africans now trust home-grown platforms and believe that they can perform as well as their foreign counterparts.

Black Friday awoof is on the way and I can already see folks with their wish list except those acquainted with Thomas:

“That Jumia Black Friday is a scam!” Scam ke?

Are you sleeping on a bicycle?

FYI:

At every Jumia Black Friday sales, trust me, you can get products for more than half the price of its original retail value and lots of people benefit from it including our favourite Computer Village and Alaba boys who we usually run to.

I remember the Black Friday sale in 2017 and I picked up good deals: The Philips hair clipper originally retailed for ₦9,500 but as seen above, I go it for ₦4,490k off the normal selling price. Sweet boys thing….if you know, you know.

Although folks consider me lucky, I don’t think it was luck. It’s just being smart and reading up. I got more deals….everywhere stew – still think that was luck too?

Keep up with me, let me reveal the mistakes peeps make and how you can avoid them.

No need to waste time, here they are:

1. You Think It’s a Scam
How? You need to remove the log in your eyes. Who told you it is? Look, I got a device last year, some of my friends who were also aware did too. Wait, you still need more proof?

See this:

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2. You Do Not Understand The Whole Concept
My heart goes out to you. I once overheard someone saying Black Friday is a demonic day where bad things happen. Chai! Click here to see what Black Friday is all about.

In simple terms, the only day you can get jaw-dropping discounts on different products (not every, but most), is on Black Friday. Kapish?

3. You Don’t Know the Date of the Event

Yah! It is going to Jumia Black Friday every Friday! Similar to last year, Jumia Black Friday is 2nd - 30th, November. However, Jumia is planning to do something crazier this year with stew everywhere:

black friday.JPG
See that? 5 Freaking treasure hunts every day and 25 flash sales! Remember, it's the fastest fingers first.

4. You expect ALL products would be sold at 80% discount?

Calm your horses. This is not how it works. Not ALL products will be featured in the “flash sales”, but little discounts will be applied to most products. For flash sales (50% – 80% off sales), featured products would be made known to you before the sale kicks off. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter to get the first dibs on our flash sales and thank me for it later.

5. Na You Go Rush The Flash Sales Not The Other Way Around

Seriously? There’s a flash sale by 12 pm and you are trying to launch the Jumia app by 12:05 pm? In Nigeria?

Just like you, there is are a million people trying to get that same product. It might shock you to find out that there might only 200 units of mobile phones in stock for the flash sale and you are coming 15 minutes late.

Mtcheewww…

6. You Have Not Registered a Jumia Account Already

Hmmm… Imagine!

Is it the time that people are using to “add to cart” and “check out” you want to start creating your new Jumia account, wait for the verification code, verify and shop?

You must be joking.

Understand: To buy anything on the e-commerce store, you need to have a verified account with them. So if you don’t already, head on to Jumia, open your customer account and verify it conveniently right now. (Here you go!)

7. You Forgot to Login

After winning the click Olympics and manage to add a product to your cart, you now start to struggle to log in. God come catch you, you forget your password. � ‘Painment!’

Before any flash sale, ensure you are properly logged in to the site to avoid “super stories”.

If you read through the Nairaland thread, you must have come across users complaining of “the item was in my cart just now just now”.

8. You are browsing with a slow connection.
Damn! This one got me so pissed black Friday sales! I was just about confirming my network just simply refused to connect. My candid advice! Do not go below the 4G bar.

9. Do not be greedy!

Put a leash on shopping appetite and avoid being long throat! In order not to waste your time, avoid trying to buy two (or more) products at the same time. It. Simply. Won’t. Work. You are restricted to just one product during the flash sales.

10. One Last Tip:

Unfortunately, everyone will not benefit from the flash sales. If you are unlucky, don’t just give up. Snoop around Jumia and you’ll find some nice deals lying around (although they might not be up to “80% discount”).

If you do not have the time for “snooping”, simply subscribe to our newsletter.

…..says the campaign will offer customers up to 90% discount on over 4 million products

Lagos, Nigeria; 25 October 2018: Jumia Nigeria has announced the commencement date for its 6th Black Friday campaign, aimed at revolutionising the shopping habit of Nigerians, promoting the convenience of online shopping and growing small and medium businesses across the country. The chief executive officer of Jumia Nigeria, Mrs Juliet Anammah who made the announcement during a press conference to flag off the campaign in Lagos said the campaign will run from Friday, November 2nd (midnight at 12.01am) through November 30th, 2018.

Anammah also stated that special deals such as flash sales, treasure hunts and special vouchers will be exclusively available to customers who shop on the Jumia App.

“We expect to see an increase of 50% website traffic as a build up over last year’s Black Friday. The rise of mobile penetration in the country which stands at 84% is one of the factors driving our App and website visits; others being our amazing deals. Last year, 79% of our customers shopped on mobile phones (website & App), and we are looking to upturn the numbers to 100% at the end of 2018, in order to achieve the country’s goal of becoming a mobile-first country,” she added.

Speaking of the concerted efforts Jumia has put in providing customers with a wide assortment of quality products to choose from, the chief commercial officer of Jumia Nigeria, Shobhit Pandey said: “We have doubled our product assortment compared to 2017 Black Friday campaign. This year, with the support of our vendors, we are offering our customers discounts as high as 80% on categories such as men’s and women’s fashion, 70% on wristwatches and sunglasses, 65% on health and beauty products, 50% on mobile phones, electronics, and groceries, and 40% on fitness and automobile products. Unlike last year, these amazing deals will only be available every Friday of the week in the month of November.” He further thanked Jumia’s partners, such as Binatone, HP, Samsung, and Haier for offering the best rates during the campaign.

Prasun Banerjee, managing director, Binatone Nigeria who spoke about why the partnership with Jumia for Black Friday will help deepen ecommerce penetration in the country, said: “Jumia has made the Black Friday sales event a wonderful opportunity for us to offer huge discounts to their customers, thereby enabling us to sell more items than we projected. This means that more Nigerians will shop during this period.” Banerjee also mentioned that the Black Friday campaign has become, through Jumia, the most anticipated shopping festival since 2013 in Nigeria.

Although, logistics has always been the biggest challenge facing most eCommerce companies in the world and in Nigeria especially during special sales campaign such as Black Friday. However, the country manager for Jumia Services (Jumia’s logistics arm), Tolulope George-Yanwah has assured customers to expect excellent delivery services during and after the campaign. According to her, Jumia has identified some logistics challenges during Black Friday, and these have been fixed ahead of November 2nd.

“We have a projection to process 50% more orders than last year’s Black Friday, and we have ensured to put in place an increased workforce, split across the major cities in the country. Our delivery associates have been trained on the best technologies that will aid the discharge of their duties. We have also provided a real-time technology that allows our customers to trace the fulfilment process of their orders from when they are shipped from the warehouse till they are delivered. This is besides necessary partnership that we have entered with other delivery companies to support our efforts towards ensuring orders are delivered on time,” added Anammah

Head of Engagement Marketing, Jumia Nigeria, Olamide Amosu explained why the company is focused on driving its App usage, especially for the Black Friday period. She said: “We’re focused on encouraging our customers to make all their purchases on the mobile App due to the increasing number of customers shopping on our website via their mobile phones, and the easy access it provides customers to access bigger deals and enhance price comparison. Shopping on the App consumes less data which helps customers to save money, and to make it attractive for use, special deals such as flash sales, treasure hunts and special vouchers will be exclusively available to customers who shop on the Jumia App.

On the other hand, Jumia’s all in one App - Jumia One - in the spirit of Black Friday, will be giving 10 lucky customers N10,000 worth of airtime, 10 lucky customers N10,000 worth of TV and internet subscriptions if they buy from at least 2 different services on the App, 10 lucky customers N10,000 worth of airtime if they purchase a minimum of N1,000 airtime, and 50% cashback for airtime purchase within the first 1 hour.

It is no longer unusual for Nigerians to introduce themselves as netpreneurs since the digital and technology age has introduced groundbreaking changes to the way business is being done. Nigeria’s growing economy has undoubtedly felt the impact.

Contemporarily, you simply need an internet-savvy smartphone and in some cases, a well-designed website to get the badge of a netpreneur. So, who is a netpreneur? A netpreneur - short for internet entrepreneur - is an individual who sells his merchandise or service via the Internet.

It is, therefore, unsurprising that an increasing number of Nigerians are aggressively taking advantage of the internet to carve a life for themselves by making their business sojourn online as either a side hustle or a full-time job.

However, it is not only Nigerians who are venturing into the online world. Before this frenzy to become a netpreneur started, ecommerce firms like Jumia and some others have left their footprint in the sands of online business.

Then, a good number of Nigerians never thought that business could actually be done online. With the possibility and popularity which Jumia gave online business, Nigerians began to troop into the world of ecommerce.

This gradually gave rise to the digital whizkid. The digital whizkid uses social media to transact his business. He/she simply post good pictures of his/her products on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Such an individual is just a direct message away from receiving an order request from potential customers. This is quite seamless and attractive.

Furthermore, the travel industry is currently benefiting from this as young tour operators take advantage of social media to market their tours and they have actually been getting people who are willing to go on tour with them. As an added incentive, Jumia's hotel and flight services have been partnering with some of these tour operators to help them push their packages. This has assisted in no small measures to promote Nigeria's tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, while these Nigerians are using social media. others go the extra mile to set up a website for either their product or service and use social media for marketing their product. Hence, the netpreneurs behind this do not need to spend extra to market their businesses because they have social media at their disposal for that purpose.

Lessons digital whiz can learn from big online brands
There is no discrimination when it comes to being a netpreneur because as long as you are doing a business online, you are one. This said, there are some big players and pacesetters like Jumia when it comes to doing business online and there is so much these digital whizzes can learn. Some of these things include (1) Reliability and trust: A lot of fraudulent activities take place with online businesses. Thankfully, Jumia has invested heavily in technology to fight fraud and even has its own payment gateway, Jumia Pay to ensure that payments are securely and safely processed. For the digital whiz, they simply need to ensure that orders are delivered when they receive the customer's alert.

(2) Listen to what customers are saying: understanding who your customers are is critical to being a successful business, no matter the size of your business. All startups and small businesses start with an idea. It can be easy for a small business owner to want to drive every business decision by their initial concept and do what they think is right to get their product or service in the hands of the customers.

(3) Know who you are: Putting processes and procedures together not only helps to organise the business, but they also help companies define what kind of business they want to be. Big companies have strong brand personalities that people can identify with. They know who they are and they know who they want to target; small businesses need to aim to achieve the same.

The netpreneur trend is awesome especially for Nigeria because it is a good way to start up a business with small capital. If the digital whizzes can actually learn from the big players in the online world; in no time, they will become one of the most recognised netpreneurs in the country.

Jumia's hotel and flight marketplace (Jumia Travel) recently organised a capacity training and intensive workshop for Lagos-based hotels selling flight tickets and hotel rooms on its platform, as part of the continuous efforts towards equipping the service providers with cutting-edge industry practice obtainable in developed countries.

The supervising director of the company, Omolara Adagunodo, exposed the participants to some of the technologies fueling disruption in the hospitality industry and encouraged them to leverage these technologies, most of which Jumia has ownership of, to improve their customer service and business performance.

"Technologies such as extranet, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and virtual card among others are some of the trends changing the travel industry. Extranet, for instance, can be used by hotels to "beat the competition, get support, analyse data, save time and manage bookings.

“Some of you are unaware of the trends in the industry. You must know that the 21st-century hotel guests’ demands are increasing and your hotels must have the capacity to meet these demands. Hence, the logic behind this capacity training is to equip you to be better prepared to meet these demands. So, I charge each of you to implement what you’ve learnt here."

She added that the training has come to stay and more will be organised for the hotel partners to ensure that they are up-to-date with industry trends.

The interactive and training session was attended by over 100 hotel representatives and some of them include, Epe Resort, Citi Height, Beni Hotel Ltd, Golden Tulip, Moorhouse Ikoyi, Class Hospitality, Chesney Hotels and many more.

For Yemi Banjoko of Beni Hotel, the training was an eyeopener. His words: "I have learned a lot more than expected. I learned the importance of using extranet. I am glad I attended this training."

Digital transformation is forcing companies to change their business models and adapt to the new market reality. What’s interesting about this is that it’s not the companies that are driving this change. Instead, this change is being driven by the customer. Today, customers expect relevant content in relation to what they’re doing anytime, anywhere in the format and on the device of their choice. And in order to keep up with this new kind of “always-connected” customer, your business must embrace technology to deliver an unmatched customer experience.

Jumia has evolved over the years to yield to customer demands. The eCommerce platform has a responsive mobile-app that allows customers to shop seamlessly and there are a lot of giveaways which has encouraged a good number of Nigerians. It's therefore not surprising that 79% of Nigerians perform their transactions on Jumia via the mobile app. This is according to the Jumia Mobile Report. This clearly corresponds with the increase in the adoption of smartphone which is expected to rise to 55% in 2020.

But, first…what is digital transformation?

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, resulting in fundamental changes in how a business operates and the value they deliver to their customers. It’s about changing the way a business interacts with its customers and how they provide their customers with a consistent experience whenever and wherever they need it. The companies that do transform digitally are creating highly engaged customers.

The digitally-conscious customer

Digital technology has transformed consumer habits and trends. Mobile devices, apps, machine learning, automation and much more allow customers to get what they want almost exactly at the moment they need it. These new digital technologies have caused a shift in customer expectations, resulting in a new kind of modern buyer. Customers are constantly connected and aware of what they can do with technology. For example, an aggrieved customer can easily go on social media to rant if he/she is unhappy about a particular service. This has forced companies to adjust, employ social media managers to handle customer complaints in real time before it escalates.

Because of the opportunities that arise from using modern technology, customers often rate organizations on their digital customer experience first.

Digital transformation to satisfy customers
Digital transformation offers organizations an opportunity to understand the modern-day buyer, engage with them and deliver on their expectations of a multi-channel customer experience. Here are two ways to help your business get started with digital transformation.

A flexible IT environment

Having the right technology to power your digital strategies is fundamental in today’s business world. Fortunately, Jumia recognises the need for implementing agile systems and, many businesses believe that technology is critical to digital transformation and has deployed technology in improving customer experience. This enables companies to be fast, dynamic and flexible – giving your organisation the ability to test new projects that are cost-effective and low-risk – allowing you to use technology to meet customer demands quicker.

Personalised customer experiences

Today’s buyers want organizations to treat them as unique individuals, and know their personal preferences and purchase history. Customers are more likely to buy from a company that: (1) recognises them by their name (2) knows their purchase history, and (3) recommends products based on their past purchases.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-moving and always connected society, companies are forced to seriously consider implementing a digital transformation strategy if they haven’t already. Digital transformation offers organizations an opportunity to engage modern buyers, and deliver on their expectations of a seamless customer experience regardless of channel or place.

The earliest mention of the phrase ‘Black Friday’ was used to describe the day after Thanksgiving in the United States in 1952, which is usually the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November — a day considered to be the beginning of the country’s Christmas shopping season. Black Friday was coined to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Twenty years after its first mention, the phrase became more widespread and represented the point in the year when retails began to turn a profit, thus going from ‘being in the red’ (losses) to ‘being in the black’ (profits). In 2003, Black Friday was the busiest shopping day of the year and has retained that position every year till date. It has become a shopping day in the US for a number of reasons: as the first day after the major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season; some employers give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and, retailers in the country both big and small take advantage of the holiday by offering various sales incentives to attract traffic to their stores. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there have been attempts by retailers with origins in the US to introduce a retail Black Friday to other countries around the world.

Adoption of Black Friday in Nigeria
Prior to the debut of eCommerce platforms in Nigeria, Black Friday was relatively unknown. Jumia introduced Black Friday to Nigerians as a shopping festival in November 2013. Shortly after that, other ecommerce players created their own simulation such as the Yakata Sales, but unfortunately, this didn’t command as much buzz as the Black Friday shopping festival. Similar to what it stands for in developed countries, especially its country of origin — the US, Black Friday has been known in Nigeria to be a day that online retailers — and until recently, offline stores — dedicate to offering jaw-dropping discounts across all product categories in an attempt at attracting traffic to their platforms. It is interesting to note that media reports have shown that Black Friday seems to be the most productive & profit driven period for most eCommerce platforms and their vendors. It provides the opportunity to level up their sales target considering there’s usually an enormous influx of shoppers during this period. Little wonder, most of the vendors selling on eCommerce platforms, Jumia for instance, always offer their products for sale at extremely low prices, in addition to offering free delivery and shipping for items above N10,000 in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and many more.

Realizing that a day might not be sufficient to shop, and considering the fact that, unlike the US, Black Friday is not yet a public holiday in Nigeria, some eCommerce platforms have extended the shopping festival to cover a period of one month, usually starting mid-November through mid-December. Thus, providing shoppers with an extended period to shop for the Christmas season. A case in point: last year Jumia held its simulation of the Black Friday between November 24th & December 24th, giving Nigerians ample time to shop for their favourite products at the best prices. Other online retailers followed suit but unfortunately couldn’t hold the fort beyond a period of one or two weeks. This might be understandable because only a few of these eCommerce platforms command enough patronage from the Nigerian shoppers, largely due to trust issues, substandard products, and inefficient delivery system. Safer for them to run the Black Friday campaign within a window period that allows them to quickly cash in and count their losses. Sadly, this doesn’t benefit the shoppers in the long run, as many of them will rather take their time to shop during this period without fear of the amazing discounts closing out within just a week. Besides, shopping, to many, is therapeutic; it’s never done in a hurry.

Another advantage of the extended Black Friday campaigns which Jumia is championing year-on-year is the opportunity it affords shoppers to compare prices with other online retailers before making a purchase decision. Customers wouldn’t have this luxury if the campaign only runs for a day, or at most a week. E-retailers, therefore, need to learn to always put the interest of the customer first before anything else. Jumia shows good leadership in this regard.

Life Changing Moment for Nigerian Entrepreneurs
The second biggest beneficiaries of the Black Friday shopping festival are the entrepreneurs who sell on various eCommerce platforms and in offline stores. Although, while there’s no accurate & reliable data to show the percentage of customers who still patronise brick & mortar shops in Nigeria, the continuous rise in the usage of smartphones to shop — thanks to internet penetration — in both urban & rural areas provide a hindsight on where most shoppers might find most convenient to shop for their everyday needs. To maximize the sales opportunities during this period, entrepreneurs selling on eCommerce platforms, using Jumia as an example, must among other things, (1) offer the most competitive price for their wares. The eCommerce platform is a battlefield, only the seller with the best prices stands a chance to attract shoppers’ attention. This is one of the best time to grow the business on volume, even while selling — probably at half the price; the more the orders, the better for the business. Moreover, the products with the most competitive prices will, (a) likely be displayed on the first page of the eCommerce website, (b) likely be sent via newsletters to millions of customers signed up on the platform, (c) likely be included in paid online advertising, sponsored by the platform. (2) check the quality of your products. Customers who buy an inferior product oftener from your online store won’t return for a repeat purchase. Although, some eCommerce platforms encourage customers to return products they consider inferior or a far cry from what was ordered. Jumia, for instance, has a 7-day window period for accepting returns. Ensure you offer to sell only good quality products that will pass the QC test established by the eCommerce platform. This reduces to the barest minimum the risk of returns from unsatisfied or disgruntled customers, which if successful, translates to completed sales for you. It also absolves the risk of getting your store deactivated, which should be a stringent procedure for a serious eCommerce website. (3) ensure your delivery system is top-notch, especially if you do same day delivery. Or else, enlist the services of trusted delivery & logistics companies, such as Max, Jumia Services, and others. (4) use the right product image and description. If your product only functions at night, add it in the description. Don’t lure customers into thinking they are buying a Ferrari when in reality, you’re selling them a Mercedes-Benz. Let the product image you upload on the website be the same as the product you’re going to deliver. Specify and update what colours you have in stock at all times. Say no to misleading & deceitful product descriptions. While these tips are standard procedures for Jumia vendors, and an integral part of their training curriculum, sellers on other platforms can also apply to make the best out of this year’s Black Friday shopping spree, which I’m given to understand will kick off November 2nd through 30th. It’s a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to turn losses into profits before the year winds up. It’s up to you to change the narratives for your business during this year’s Black Friday.

Best Time for Thrift Shopping
Shoppers remain the biggest beneficiaries of Black Friday. Those looking to save money while shopping heavy will take advantage of the special deals and discount vouchers that will be available for shoppers during this period. What is that product you’ve been saving up for months or weeks to buy? Is it an electronic gadget? iPhone XS, XS Max or iPhone XR? Kitchen gadget? Groceries? This is the best time to fill your shopping carts with all the products you’ve always wanted, but couldn’t afford at once. You buy more and spend less.

Typically, when navigating an eCommerce website don’t buy the first product that seems affordable to you. Compare the product price and quality with other sellers on the same platform. Look out for the sellers ratings and comments of previous buyers of similar products. Spend some time browsing through the website to find excellent deals. The goal is to spend less to get more.

Black Friday in Remote Areas With No Internet Access
Interestingly, urban dwellers are not the only beneficiaries of the eCommerce explosion. Most rural dwellers and those in the remotest areas — with or without the internet — also participate actively in shopping online, especially during Black Friday period when most items are sold at almost half the price, sometimes at 70 — 80% off. My grandmother bought a mobile phone during last year’s Black Friday at 40% off. She had no access to the internet, nor did she know how to use a computer device to surf the internet, even if she had access. I had sent her money to buy a phone from one of the dealers in her neighbourhood. To my utmost dismay, she said she’ll rather buy it online and save some money. “How will you do that?” I asked. “Dele, the teacher, told me he will buy it from his company online because they sell it cheaper,” she quipped. Dele was one of the secondary school teachers in the village. He and grandmother had an excellent rapport. Out of curiosity, I called Dele to inquire about the claim, and most importantly to be sure he wasn’t playing a fast one on the aged woman. “How could he think of duping mama after all these years of constant moral and financial support she had provided for him?,” I thought to myself in sheer disbelief.

The anticlimax happened when I put a call through to Dele, only to be told that aside his teaching job, he has also been trained by an eCommerce platform on how to sell products listed on their platform to rural dwellers who either have no access to the internet, or who simply can’t operate a computer device. He explained to me that with the help of his tablet, he can show the customer pictures of the item on the website, and also explain the functions and prices. In fact, he would go as far telling the customer the rating of each seller and comments of previous buyers, to guide the customer through the buying process. He would do this, most times, in the customer’s native language. So, in addition to his teaching career, he’s also an entrepreneur who receives periodic training on how to sell and make a profit. Aside Dele, there are thousands of trained entrepreneurs scattered across the country — although most of them have other business interests they pursue — who have benefited from the Jumia J-Force programme. The programme provides them with the opportunity to make extra income in addition to their full-time job. For those who live in rural areas, they avail dwellers in these places the opportunity to enjoy the luxury of online shopping, at the most affordable prices. They actively engage the dwellers in all the special campaigns that promise huge discounts and mouth-watering deals.

Black Friday will be upon us in the next couple of weeks. Everybody is excited: the entrepreneurs, the customers, the eCommerce platforms, and the Nigerian economy. I, for once, am excited and look forward to it with beaming eagerness.

As a reminder, for this year’s Black Friday shopping festival to be successful, here are a few pointer for eCommerce websites: ensure you provide customers with a wide assortment of genuine products at the best prices; beef up your logistics capacity to deliver orders on time; equip your customer service unit to handle complaints and returns in a timely manner. And here’s a reminder too for the customers: don’t spend that money now. Save the last for the best. Take advantage of the free shopping vouchers, participate in the various treasure hunts and keep your focus on social media to stay abreast of other opportunities to buy your favourite items for less from Nigeria’s number one shopping destination, Jumia.

Nigeria has come a long way when it comes to financial inclusion. We have gone beyond digging holes in bedrooms to bury money to keeping money in the bank. According to the Global Findex Database report by the World Bank, only 40 per cent of Nigerian adults have bank accounts. Sadly, the same report says that 118 million Nigerians do not have bank accounts. This means there is still so much to be done to boost financial inclusion in Nigeria.

What is financial inclusion? It is where individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs that are delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. Financial inclusion is defined as the availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services.

It is therefore essential to note that every Nigerian notwithstanding whether they are residing in the rural or urban area must have access to useful financial products and services which can in turn help in tackling and reducing poverty.

In this case, the Central Bank of Nigeria is employing different strategies to ensure that every Nigerian is banked. One of such strategies was to set up along with stakeholders the National Financial Inclusion Strategy on 23rd October 2012. The NFIS is aiming to reduce the exclusion rate to 20% by 2020. Specifically, adult Nigerians with access to payment services is to increase from 21.6% to 70% in 2020, while those with access to savings should increase from 24.0% to 60%; and Credit from 2% to 40%, Insurance from1% to 40% and Pensions from 5% to 40%, within the same period.

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Meanwhile, the private sector is also making efforts to drive financial inclusion. Although Pay on Delivery rank first among the payment options when it comes to Jumia, 33% of Nigerians pay for transactions using credit/debit card or mobile payment. Pay on delivery stands at 67%. This is according to the Jumia Mobile Report. Clearly, If you do not have a bank account, you cannot perform such a transaction. And Jumia has thousands of customers both in the rural and urban areas. Undoubtedly, Jumia has made significant contributions to accelerate financial inclusion.

The vigorous attempts are actually paying off and quite an appreciable number of Nigerians have joined the financial inclusion race. This has been largely complemented by technology. As you know, technology has a solution for almost every social problem if properly deployed.

Challenges of financial inclusion in Nigeria
According to the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, the hurdles of financial inclusion in Nigeria are:

*Low Income
Despite the fact that the minimum wage in Nigeria is 18,000 ($50), 23.6% of the adult population earn less than $2 per day and 10.9% of adults have no income. As such, this Nigerians will not see the need for any financial services and unfortunately, saving is not an option for them.

*Physical access
The banking density in Nigeria is low. The average distance to a branch is less than 10 km
and 79% of rural dwellers are unbanked. This is why most of the financial inclusion efforts are usually focused on rural areas.

*Financial literacy
It is no gainsaying that a substantial number of Nigerians lack a clear understanding of
financial institutions and products. It is further exacerbated by the fact that there is a lack of trust in the banking system. This is perhaps why an average person will prefer to keep their money under their bed instead of the bank.

*Affordability

This is another hurdle of financial inclusion. Some persons cannot afford ATM fees/cards/transactions and minimum balances required to open an account. Also, the documentation process may be cumbersome.

Tech as the catalyst for financial inclusion
Like earlier mentioned, technology has a solution for every social problem if exhaustively tapped.

For financial inclusions, fintech startups are springing up almost on a daily basis. Some of these fintechs are payment gateways, others are loan oriented and another set is purely informational. Even though the banks are doing their bit by having branches in the nooks and crannies of the country, the fintechs are disrupting the financial space because they are using tech to provide viable financial products.

Today, a woman in the village can approach a loan-oriented fintech for loan and within 48 hours, she will receive an alert. Of course, one of the criteria is to have an account. This will not happen with a Nigerian bank. Additionally, Jumia provides credit facility to its vendors to enable them to do business effortlessly.

Furthermore, the proper location of ATMs is critical to financial inclusion. ATMs should be strategically located and interestingly, you can use Google map to search for the ATMs.

Ultimately, if financial information is provided to Nigerians, it will definitely boost financial inclusion. For example, almost everyone in both the rural and urban areas owns phones, text messages can be sent in their local languages to make them understand the financial services available to them.

This will definitely help accelerate financial inclusion and ensure that the NFIS target is actualised.

Credit Facility: A Nostrum for Today’s Entrepreneurs

“I, too, used to run a business. I ran it for 18 months until I ran out of funds, after exhausting all my life’s savings. Great business idea, the market was huge and overwhelming. I started, I pushed it as much as I could. I served a market that consistently needed my service. To grow, I needed to inject money into the blood vessels of the business. But, I couldn’t. The resource was not available, and there was no one to help except the banks with their suicidal interest rates. Next to having a great business idea is access to funds to start and drive the business to growth”

What kind of business are you hoping to start? What kind of solution will your business provide? Is there a market for your business? How do you intend to run the venture? What’s your strategy for generating revenue and eventually, profit? How much time do you need to scale the business? How much resources would you require to flight the business? How are you sourcing for funds? Personal savings? Friends and family? Government loans? Bank loans? These are important considerations for any anyone who is considering entrepreneurship. Although, micro, small and medium sized businesses (MSMEs) are confronted with myriads of challenges today, some of which are tied to the general characteristics of the business environment in Nigeria: multiple taxation systems, unstable government policies, management problems, high cost of doing business, difficulties in accessing credit, and so on. Access to credit facility still remains the biggest challenge. And the reason is simple: while banks recognize the potential of most MSMEs as a source of revenue through credit facility, they are, most times, reluctant because of the difficulty attached to managing and assessing such risks. To curb these risks, many banks have resorted to implementing stringent screening measures and requirements when considering credit facility for MSMEs. These stringent measures however only ensure that only a few businesses are granted credit.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in conjunction with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently published an article titled, ‘The Credit Crunch’, which alleged that 87 percent of MSME respondents had successful loan applications in the past, while 69 percent of MSMEs who wanted loans but did not apply felt that they will be rejected because of the collateral requirements and other associated conditions attached to the loan approval process. Moreover, there is also a perceived ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach by financial institutions towards loan applications by MSMEs and their employees. It thus appears that many MSMEs and their employees find the process of obtaining loans – whether real or perceived – to be discouraging.

Be that as it may, the federal government of Nigeria, in an effort to provide the needed capital support for entrepreneurs, has launched several credit facility initiatives through its various agencies saddled with the responsibility of growing small and medium scale businesses. While the efforts of the government might be said to be yielding substantial growth, truth is, not every entrepreneur will qualify or get a chance to merit such credit facilities. Moreover, the government cannot on its own cater to virtually all business proposals with viable potential. The present administration created a MarketMoni scheme through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) as a Special Intervention Programme by providing loans between N10,000 and N100,000 to microenterprises, the segments of the society with the greatest difficulty accessing credit. The scheme, which is executed by the Bank of Industry (BOI), a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, directly impacts traders, market women, artisans, and farmers nationwide. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, of the 37 million small businesses in Nigeria, 36.9 million are micro enterprises, and these are responsible for almost 50 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 80 percent of the workforce. Therefore, it might be impossible for only the government to provide credit facility for all of those micro enterprises.

Already, some private organisations, although relatively young, have been supporting and growing MSMEs for years. While their efforts might not have been noticed by the media, their impact on these micro, small and medium-sized businesses have been enormous. For instance, did you know that some of the merchants/vendors selling on Jumia enjoy a low-interest credit facility given to them by the eCommerce giant? The Jumia Lending Program is an initiative that gives sellers on the platform opportunity to grow and expand their businesses by granting them access to fast and easy short-term working capitals. Lots of entrepreneurs have been produced through this initiative. Some of the pecks of the lending initiative include quick registration process; flexible repayment plan within 1 - 6 months; no collateral; low-interest rate; no hidden or extra charges; and free training and support services to help merchants selling on the platform make best use of the loan and expand their businesses. Just like the MarketMoni scheme by the federal government, Jumia vendors also have between N10,000 - N100,000 credit facility available to them. Sellers who have benefitted immensely from Jumia’s low-interest credit facility today remain among the top sellers on the platform, cutting across a wide spectrum of category such as, home appliances, beauty and perfumes, phone and tablets, cameras and electronics, computing, TV, audio & video, and so on.

As a nation, it will be almost impossible for us to reap the dividends of the digital economy if businesses powering the sector are not adequately funded, or at least provided with low-interest credit facility which can help to grow, nurture and sustain the businesses. There have been many discourses on how Nigeria can take advantage of eCommerce to improve the lot of the very promising Nigeria economy. Although, much has not been seen of the government investing in this sector, it has nonetheless created an enabling environment for the existing players to operate. In turn, the players, of which Jumia remains the leader is empowering entrepreneurs on its platform to flourish through constant free business training and advice, provision of credit facility, and so on.

With over 50,000 active merchants/sellers on the platform, Jumia continues to connect consumers and businesses across Africa. Through its various online platforms, consumers can access a wide range of products and services, from basic consumer goods to online travel. The company helps consumers “save time and money”. Businesses use Jumia in order to distribute their products and services in a more efficient and scalable way.

Nigerians who order items online don't do so because they cannot visit the market or offline stores, they do so for its convenience. This is one of the unique impacts online service delivery is having on Nigerian homes.

Compare this to the past when you have to brave the Lagos traffic-if you are in the centre of excellence-to go to the market, haggle about prices added to the stress of transporting your items home. Now, you can sit anywhere in the country and with your mobile phone, you can order any item that would be delivered to your home. It is easy and seamless.

Hence, it should not come as a surprise that McKinsey estimated ecommerce spending in Nigeria at $12 billion and projected it to reach $75 billion in revenues per annum by 2025. Interesting!

While harping on the convenience online service delivery and ecommerce have introduced our lives as Nigerians, we must not forget to recognise the role played by Jumia, Nigeria's No.1 shopping destination in making Nigerians believe that they can order and perform transactions online.

How has online service delivery promoted convenience?
The salubrious thing about buying or purchasing items online is that you do not need to belabour yourself about going to a store or market. So how has online service delivery promoted convenience?

Hospitality Industry

For the hospitality industry, Jumia's hotel and flight services has developed a solid platform for Nigerians to book their packages, flight and hotels. In fact, the platform just recently launched a flight marketplace-which is the first in Africa, to enable their teeming customers to get the best available price in the flight market. It was discovered that the flight market in Africa is basically offline. So, wherever you are in the country, Jumia has over 9,000 hotels for you to book ensuring that you are not stranded. The keyword here is the convenience. You do not need to start searching for a hotel in the middle of nowhere to book a hotel room. We all know it is risky.

Meanwhile. you can also order food online if you are not open to cooking or visiting the restaurant. Again, Jumia's food services got you covered. You can order food in any of your favourite restaurants and it is delivered to either your home, office or wherever you are with the speed of light.

Transport industry

When you visit a cinema or a place of interest, you see taxi drivers calling to pick them. Within minutes you stepped out, a clean-looking Toyota corolla car is parked in front of you and you majestically walk-in. The taxi-driver is filled with contempt. This is how Uber and Taxify are disrupting the transport industry.

The convenience of using online service delivery is not only restricted to the industries highlighted above. It has had an impact on others like agriculture and health etc.

The price of crude oil has been crashing after years of successive boom. Nigeria as an oil producing and a dependent nation has immensely benefitted from this oil explosion since its discovery in Oloibiri in 1956. Reports showed that Nigeria earned N77.348 trillion from the oil and gas industry from 1999 to 2016.

For oil, the country abandoned and abdicated agriculture as soon as sweet crude was discovered. Even when agriculture monies were used to build the cocoa house in West, the groundnut pyramids in North and the large expanse of oil palm in the East; every exited the farm for oil fields. As at now, only scraps of the agricultural investments are left.

Fast forward to the present day, oil is no longer the bride that once behold everyone. As expected revenue is thinning. The government has resulted in borrowing to finance its project. Recently, Nigeria got $328 million loan from China to boost the ICT Sector and it is appealing to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for assistance.

At the same time, the government is looking to diversify the economy in order to move it from a mono-economy reliant on oil to a multi-economy.

One of the sectors it is massively pursuing is technology. The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has made it his top agenda to use technology to drive economic growth.

Interestingly, before the government recognised technology as a goldmine, young Nigerians are already pushing the frontiers of technology. These Nigerians are utilising fintech, healthtech, foodtech, propertytech, traveltech, ecommerce and socialtech among others, to tackle social problems and provide much-needed employment.

In this case, Jumia has provided jobs for thousands of Nigerians and at the same time empowered millions more. This is possible because Jumia has over the past six years been able to move from just been a retail store to an ecosystem where you can buy anything and perform any transaction. You can now order food, book hotels and flight, buy groceries as well as make payments. The aim is to keep the customer within the ecosystem and of course, Jumia is clearly achieving this aim.

These creative solutions have attracted million dollar investments from venture capitalists. For example, Fintech startup, Paga, raised $10 million from Global Innovation Partners et al for global expansion.

Also, we have seen the impact of technology in Agriculture. Presently, digital farming pioneered by the likes of Farmcrowdy, Thrive Agric and Crop2Cash provide more insights and information to enable farmers to make informed decisions.

The tech space needs to be properly and effectively harnessed so that it can lead economic growth. One of the first things Nigeria must do is to come up with a framework or policy to back up the technology industry. The reason for this is to ensure there is continuity so that the next administration won't sideline the painstaking efforts of the government. This legal policy will help create an enabling environment for the tech space to thrive and survive. It will also bridge the gap between decision-makers and ICT practitioners.

Furthermore, there is the need to promote local and international collaboration among the tech startups in the country. This collaboration can be in the form of technical support and data exchange. This will ensure that startups have a longer lifespan and actually help Nigeria.

Importantly, innovation is key to the survival of the tech space. Tech companies have to continually innovate to remain relevant. This can be done through tech and innovation hubs where startups can discuss the latest trends in the tech space.

Nigeria's digital economy is currently getting the much-needed attention from government and experts because of its endless potentials to cause a radical shift in the country's economy. These can be backed by the statement of Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment who said recently that there are indications that investments in the digital economy will generate $88 billion and create three million jobs for Nigerians before the end of 2021.

From the Minister's statement, it can be understood that the digital economy will be key to the growth of Nigeria's economy.

However, a major concern or worry for some stakeholders is that the participation in the digital economy is largely concentrated in the urban areas. Meanwhile, in the rural areas, their participation is quite skeletal largely because of the low internet penetration. To be more factual, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta said recently that 53% of Nigerians lack internet access and many of them are inhabitants of rural areas.

Nigeria's Digital economy
So, what is the digital economy? According to Deloitte, "It's the economic activity that results from billions of everyday online connections among people, businesses, devices, data, and processes."

What is exciting about the digital economy is that it is unrestricted and borderless as it can reach anyone in any part of the world.

In Nigeria, we have seen huge contributions in the digital economy from e-commerce, fintech, aggrotech, and healthtech among others. These businesses have deployed digital technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the internet of things to solve crucial social problems and improve their bottom line.

In relation to e-commerce, Jumia has played a key role in accelerating Nigeria's digital economy. The platform has encouraged and convinced Nigerians to buy things online, created jobs and generally encouraged trust in the online space.

Increasing rural participation
Business in rural areas is basically offline. This is probably because of inadequate internet access. Nevertheless, these areas cannot be left behind in the digital economy march. It is a goldmine waiting to be explored.

The first and only thing that must be done is for the government through the Nigerian Communication Commission to work with the telecommunication companies to identify and provide telephony services to underserved or unserved communities. If this can be done, there will be a steady increase in rural participation in the digital economy because businesses will move into these communities to do business.

In the meantime, some painstaking efforts are been made to increase rural participation despite the limited internet access.

Jumia, Nigeria's No 1 shopping destination, has expanded its delivery services beyond Lagos to include Ibadan, Abeokuta, Port Harcourt and Abuja. In all of these cities, there are pockets of rural communities and their inhabitants who buy items online through Jumia Force (JForce) agents and are delivered to their doorsteps. Also, if you are searching for a hotel, Jumia's hotel and flight services have over 9,000 hotels across the country. Therefore, whether you are in a rural or urban area you do not need to worry about where to stay. This reveals that Jumia is ready to send foot soldiers to these rural areas to educate, enlighten and at the end empower them to be part of the digital economy.

It is World Tourism Day again! The theme of this year's celebration is 'Digital Transformation and Tourism. To celebrate World Tourism Day, Jumia's hotel and flight services, take a close look at the various ways digitalisation has transformed the tourism and travel industry.

Hotel Management Software for confirming bookings

Today, there is now hotel management software that can be used to confirm bookings and availability of rooms. This has made the job of travel advisors easier as they can now automatically know if a particular hotel is full or not and at the same time they do not have to keep calling the hotels to confirm bookings.

Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots

The evolution of the travel and tourism industry has been remarkable. Initially, people couldn’t book flights on the Internet. Then came online travel agents. Today, travellers can do anything from asking smartphone if the flight is on time to have their queries answered by a chatbot. This is made possible by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Travel service providers can provide all the information via AI-powered apps and technology.

Booking flight and hotels are now seamless

Jumia's hotel and flight services has taken advantage of digitalisation to bring over 9,000 hotels from across Nigeria to enable travellers to book these hotels. So, whether you are in Dawakin Tofa in Kano state or Victoria Island in Lagos state, you can book your hotel at any time you so desire. You are just one click away.

The rise of social media tour operators

Tour operators like Social Prefect, Irin Ajo, Tour2Nigeria and TVP adventures among others have taken advantage of social media to promote tours, thus encouraging Nigerians to travel within and outside the country. Jumia's hotel and flight services has partnered with some of these tour operators to push their tours thus gaining more traction.

Integration of Internet of Things(IoT)

The Internet has played a pivotal role in the transformation of the travel sector over the last decade, creating new businesses around everything from sharing economy to mobile apps. However, more dramatic transformation looms on the horizon: The Internet of Things (IoT). IoT’s rapid digitalisation of machines or physical things as smart connected devices is significantly impacting service offerings, business models, and traveller expectations. As more and more devices get connected to the IoT, the travel and hospitality sectors can harness this data to improve customer experience significantly. Through IoT devices, the opportunities for better customer service are endless.

Blessed with great vegetation, mind-blowing landscapes, unique flora and fauna, historical monuments and rich culture that cut across the 36 states of the federation, Nigeria is one of the most beautiful and thrilling countries to visit in Africa.

However, only quite a handful of Nigerians are aware of this fact. Even the few that are aware of this don't count Nigeria as a tourist destination. They have already concluded plans to travel to Dubai, London, Cape Town, Paris, New York and other 'exquisite' destinations for their vacation.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with visiting these charming destinations. However, what is wrong is that after traversing the world, you refuse to explore Nigeria perhaps because you think Nigeria has nothing to offer. You are absolutely wrong. Nigeria has so much to offer.

What does Nigeria have to offer both local and international tourists?

When it comes to tourism, the offerings of Nigeria is limitless or let's say infinite. Each one of the 36 states has something to offer in terms of tourism. Although some of the destinations are more popular than others, it still does not relegate the fact that you will have a magical experience in any of the states.

To encourage Nigerians to travel, Jumia through its hotel and flight services has democratised travel and encouraged inbound tourism. Presently, you can book affordable packages to different destinations in Nigeria. So, there is no excuse for you not to travel or tour Nigeria or for tourists not to visit the country.

It must be added that Jumia has partnered with tour operators to enable them to push their packages and with the traction on Jumia, we have seen a significant number of people both locally and internationally making enquiries and actually booking these packages.

*Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a resplendent and charming region of the country contrary to widely held beliefs. From Sokoto to Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna; there are so many things to do and see. Kaduna has Kajuru Castle and Kumuku National park; the ancient city of Kano delivers history in the form of the Gidan Makama Museum and the Kano city wall; Adamawa has Sukur Cultural Landscape; Bauchi has the popular Yankari Games Reserve and Taraba state host Chappal Waddi-the highest point in the country. Additionally, northern Nigeria has the Durbar Festival that is celebrated with pomp and pageantry.

*Southern Nigeria
Although there are other destinations in Southern Nigeria, Calabar has positioned itself as the leading destination in Southern Nigeria. This is because it has been packaged to appear this way. Calabar is a total package. It hosts the biggest street party in Africa - the Calabar Carnival, Obudu Cattle Ranch, Tinapa Resort, Agbokim Waterfalls as well as a very rich food culture!

Eastern Nigeria
If you want to see cultural display at its best, look no further than eastern Nigeria: Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu. Inhabitants of these states hold their culture dear to their hearts. That is why when you visit a destination like Ogbunike Cave in Anambra, there are some entry rules you have to follow. Beyond this, tourists will see the relics of the civil in Abia state at the National War Museum, Ngwo Pine Forest in Enugu, the Long Juju of Arochukwu in Abia and Awhum Waterfalls Enugu. There are also festivals like the new yam and masquerade.

Western Nigeria
Festivals, tourist destinations and historical moments are all waiting for tourists who visit some of the states in Western Nigeria. One of the best places where tourists can start from is Osun state. They will be treated to the Osun-osogbo festival, the Osogbo groove (a Unesco World Heritage site), and the Olumirin Waterfalls. Other prominent destinations include the Ikogosi warm spring in Ekiti State, Idanre Hills in Ondo, Olumo Rock and Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State as well as Badagry and the Eyo festival in Lagos.

For Nigerians who are still contemplating what the country has to offer in terms of tourism, you can now see that the bucket list is infinite. The only role you have to play is to ensure that you immerse yourself in the culture of the destination you are visiting and you will be fine!

Different data have confirmed that Nigeria has a huge unemployment challenge. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) pegs the unemployment rate at 14.2% to 18.8% in 2017.

Although 18.8% may be small in terms of percentage, the raw numbers are staggering. The indices of the NBS revealed that the number of people within the labour force that were unemployed or underemployed increased drastically from 13.6 million and 17.7 million in the second quarter of 2017 to 18.8 million in the third quarter of 2017.

Meanwhile, a 2017 report of the International Labour Organisation estimated that youth unemployment rate in Nigeria was at 13.41 per cent.

You can easily deduce from the aforementioned data that Nigeria is in an unemployment crisis and something drastic needs to be done to tackle this challenge. This is because economic growth and development can never be guaranteed if a large number of the population especially the youth is unemployed.

In the march to find a solution to unemployment, the private sector is playing a major role in tackling the problem. A key sector that has made arguably one of the biggest contributions is e-commerce.

Today, a company like Jumia leads the e-commerce landscape. Interestingly, a large chunk of their employees are young adults between 22 and 30 years; a positive employment metric. Beyond this, Jumia has empowered millions of Nigerians directly or indirectly. Thus, supporting the government in easing the unemployment problems.

E-commerce can tackle Nigeria's unemployment problem

It is possible for eCommerce to compete in agriculture when it comes to job creation. Despite the dire unemployment quagmire, e-commerce has made a monumental contribution when it comes to the provision of jobs for Nigerians. Thanks to Jumia that pioneered and powered e-commerce to new heights, many persons and businesses have benefited in one way or the other.

Currently worth around $13billion (about N4.01 trillion), experts in the Nigerian financial service sector have estimated that Nigeria's e-commerce market value could rise to $50billion (N15.45 trillion) over the next decade. This is the bright prospects that e-commerce have and if properly and effectively exploited, there is no doubt that it will overshoot the reported estimate. And of course, Nigerians will be gainfully employed because e-commerce startups are springing up daily and are attracting the attention of investors.

Reasons why e-commerce can answer Nigeria's unemployment woes

*Low operating costs

The undeniable fact is that running a physical store costs a lot of money. By running your own e-commerce operation, one of the main benefits is that the overheads are much lower. For example, an online store requires less personnel to manage it thanks to automation and inventory management. You can also benefit from cheap online marketing channels such as social media to spread the word about your business.

*A wider audience

Since many people are now online, you have an audience who are ready to patronise you. However, due to competition in the e-commerce space, you need to get your marketing right so that your messages will reach the right target market. Therefore, you have a wider audience for your products or services than if you decided to open a physical store in a shopping mall. Additionally, your business is always open – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

How e-commerce is solving unemployment

If you want to make money and want to exit the unemployment market, all you need is a computer and a very good internet connection. It doesn’t matter if you have a white collar job, you are into business or you are unemployed, you can make some money. Also, if you can muster the financial power, you can float your own e-commerce store.

*You can become an independent sales consultant

To be a sales consultant with Jumia, you will be required to register, create your own team (a network of other sales consultants) and then start selling Jumia products and make money doing so. You can make up to ₦1,000,000 monthly doing this.

*Become an affiliate partner

Affiliate partners can promote the products on Jumia and can get up to 11% commission on every successful order made a click via your affiliate link. You can make easy money online if you own a website, blog or just any useful social media account (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc). But first, you need to sign up for the affiliate program, find products you know people really want or the products you know your website/blog readers want or the product your social media networks need. Promote the products, get people to go through your link, track your sales and earn commissions. How easy can money making get!

*Become a vendor

If you have your own products and services to sell, you can easily sell them. Jumia will allow you to list your products for sale as long as you want to sell your genuine products online. To get started, you will be required to go to the Jumia Seller registration page and sign up. After signing up, you will be able to upload your own products to sell on Jumia Nigeria. Presently, Jumia has millions of vendors that are currently selling and earning money on the platform. They are smiling to the bank.

It’s very easy to forget about your groceries until the smell consumes your kitchen, but here’s the good news is that knowing how to store them properly isn’t rocket science. Not only does proper food storage prevent unnecessary waste, but it also lessens your grocery bill and minimises the risk of a contracting a food-borne illness. Jumia, Nigeria's No.1 shopping destination, highlights ways you can preserve food to ensure their durability.

Know where to store fruits and vegetables

Not all fruits and veggies need to live in the fridge. Avocados, citrus, bananas, pears, peaches, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes can all be stored at room temperature or in a cool pantry. But don’t store onions and potatoes together.

Wrap your greens in paper towels

To prevent slimy residue from accumulating in your bag of lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens, stick paper towels inside to soak up excess moisture. You can do the same with leftover salad greens in food storage containers.

Use plastic wrap on bananas

Cover the crown of a bunch of bananas in plastic wrap to slow the release of ethylene gas. This will prevent them from ripening too quickly if you’re not going to use the whole bunch right away.

Soak berries in vinegar
If you don’t eat all the berries, quick soak in a three-parts water, one-part vinegar solution will kill bacteria and prevent moulding. Rinse the berries thoroughly then pat dry once you’re done.

Store grains in air-tight containers

Buying in bulk is a great way to save money when grocery shopping, but you want to store it correctly so the extra food doesn’t go to waste. If you buy grains in bulk, be sure to transfer them to an airtight container to maintain freshness, as well as keep bugs away. Go a step further and label your containers with the purchase dates so you know how long you’ve had your grains.

Double-check your fridge’s temperature

Finally, after you’ve wrapped and placed all your perishables in the refrigerator, be sure that it’s set at the right temperature. Make sure your fridge thermometer is working correctly to prevent spoilage and reduce the risk of food-borne illness. The temperature should be set to at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit or a few degrees lower.

Do you often have problems in digesting a meal? If you have ever wondered about the reason, it is probably because you eat foods that should never be combined. This causes problems in digestion. You probably have painful gas, heartburn, and an upset stomach. Jumia, Nigeria's leading online food ordering platform, shares food combinations to avoid like a plague. Your health will benefit a lot.

Dairy and pineapple

Sour fruits such as pineapple cause the digestive system to work a little slower. Pineapple also contains bromelain, an enzymic complex that can cause health issues when combined with dairy products. If you’re adding fruit to your yoghurt, try apricots instead of pineapple. Or, skip the fruit and add oats or honey.

A sandwich and coffee

Many people eat breakfast on-the-go, especially when they’ve had a hectic morning and they’re running late for work. A breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee have become a regular meal choice. The problem is, the simple carbs in bread prevent the calcium in the cheese from being digested properly. Adding instant coffee to the mix ends up providing zero benefits when it comes to heart health.

Potatoes and meat

A steak and fries might sound like a delicious meal. Unfortunately, it’s not the healthiest combination. The starch in potatoes needs alkalotic digestive fluids, while the proteins in meat need acidic digestive fluids. When you eat them together, the foods can end up causing heartburn, gas and other digestive issues. Don’t eat meat and fried potatoes.

Tomatoes and cucumbers

Tomatoes and cucumbers are a popular combination for a healthy and refreshing salad. But adding these two ingredients together can actually disturb the biochemical pathways of your body. The mixture can cause swelling, and the vitamins that the foods contain won’t be digested properly. Eat these foods separately instead of together!

Banana and milk

Sweet fruits that contain a lot of natural sugar can stay inside the body for a longer period of time. This can cause the digestive system to slow down, especially when you combine them with milk.

Have you ever felt embarrassed on a business dinner or while meeting with your in-laws or any other such formal/informal dinners because you did not know the proper dining etiquettes? Well, you are not alone. Many people feel out of place when invited to an exquisite restaurant because of poor table manners. It is not that difficult to learn the dining etiquette. Jumia, Nigeria's leading online food ordering platform, shares a few do’s and don’ts of dining that will help you next time you step into some fancy exquisite restaurant:

Follow the general etiquette

Some of the common etiquettes have been taught by parents when you were young. If you don’t follow these common table manners then be prepared to get those weird judgmental looks from people. Some of the general etiquettes are: don’t make the chewing sounds while eating, don’t speak when your mouth is full, always cover your mouth while coughing and never place your elbows on the table.

Do not rush to eat

Always follow the lead of your host. Most of the times he/she has seating arrangements already set in their mind. Don’t go and seat yourself in any chair you want to be seated in. After you sit, pull the chair gently and do not drag it over with the horrible scrape.

Place napkin on your lap

Unfold the napkin and place it on your lap while you are eating. Use it occasionally to wipe your hands and lips. Remember, don’t create a scene by using it to blow your nose. Instead, excuse yourself to go to the washroom for it. Place it in the chair while excusing yourself. At the end of the meal, place the napkin on the left side of your plate.

Wait for food to cool

When the food is served hot, wait for it to cool. Don’t blow on it. When you are served any kind of soup, do not tilt or even lift the bowl. You wouldn’t be making a good impression. Ask politely if you want any dish to be passed to you. Generally, it is not a good thing to use your hands while eating food. But there are some exceptions to it as well. For example, it is always advised to tear your bread with the hand instead of a knife.

Resting utensils when you want to speak

When you pause in order to speak with someone, always place your knife and fork on your plate. Place it in an inverted V shape with their tips facing each other.

Wait for others to finish their meal

After finishing, wait for others to finish their meal. Place the napkin on the table. Place the knife and the fork pointing upwards on the plate. Don’t leave either of them on the sides.

It can be difficult to decide which console is best for you. To make things somewhat easier, Jumia, Nigeria's no. 1 shopping destination, shares a list of things you have to think about before you make your purchase.

Game Type

It is very likely that you have a preference for certain types of games. Some people prefer sports games while others prefer shooters. Chances are that there is even a series that you just can't do without. It is important that you do not end up with a nice new shiny console but the games you like to play are not available for your console.

Performance

It is important that you research what the consoles can deliver in terms of performance so that you are not disappointed afterwards. If you are a power user you don't want to end up with a console that does not live up to your expectations.

Cost

Think about how much money you are willing to spend to buy a game console. Gaming costs money, not only the initial costs for the console but also the games and peripherals.
You will want to avoid spending more than your budget permits. You do not want to be in a position that you can't afford to buy the game you were waiting for a long time for when it is finally released.

Online service

Most consoles offer an online service. Both the cost and what is included in these servers vary. If you are going to play online a lot, you will want the best service available. Stable servers, no downtime and cloud storage.

Storage

The way your data is stored and the maximum disk capacity are very important.
If you plan on buying digital versions of games, you might run out of disk space very quickly. With the PlayStation, it is very easy to add some extra storage with an SSD (solid state drive).

Ask friends

What console are your friends playing on? Chances are you want to play online with them. Having the same console as your friends have a lot of advantages. One of which is that you can borrow that game that they already finished for example.

The human body requires a long list of nutrients daily. The essentials, though, are referred to as macronutrients, and your body needs them to stay healthy and perform optimally. Jumia, Nigeria's No. 1 Shopping Destination shares, some of the key important nutrients your body needs.

Protein

A protein consists of amino acids that act as the body’s main building blocks for tissues, such as muscle, skin, bone, and hair. Proteins also assist in many reactions in the body, including the production of enzymes (the catalysts that keep all body processes running smoothly), hormones, and antibodies. The best protein sources are meats, poultry and seafood, beans and peas, nuts, eggs, and soy products.

Fats

Your body uses fats for energy when carbohydrates aren’t available. You also need fats as insulation, to help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and to protect your organs. Fats come in both liquid and solid forms. The best sources of healthful fats are the liquid monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, soybean oil, and avocados, as well as fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s main energy source and the brain’s only source of fuel. Your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which cells require to create energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains and foods made from grains, such as whole-wheat bread, bulgur, barley, oatmeal, brown rice, and cornmeal.

Vitamins and minerals

You need vitamins and minerals for numerous physiological functions that help you survive. They're essential for normal growth and development, and each one plays a unique role in helping to maintain optimal health. For example, calcium and vitamin D are necessary for healthy bones, and the B vitamins help support the nervous system. Vitamins and minerals come from a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables.

Water

You’ve probably heard that you can live for weeks without food but only days without water. That’s because water is the most important essential nutrient. It is involved in many of your body’s vital functions, and it distributes other essential nutrients to your cells.

Fashion accessories are an item for every woman. There are some fashion accessories that you simply cannot do without. In line with this, Jumia, Nigeria's No. 1 Shopping Destination, discuss fashion accessories that every girl must own.

Necklace

It is so important to own a statement necklace these days. A necklace will give you the last minute edge to your outfit. This piece of jewelry is something that will last forever and will always look trendy.

Earrings

You always need perfect earrings to match your clothes and therefore earrings will always be a treat to the eyes and make you look even prettier. They go well with everything and can be worn on a simple function or a traditional event as well.

Watch

Regardless of the type of watch you prefer, these timepieces make a stylish accessory that every girl should own. They are unique items which can go in any of your apparel or can complement your appearance.

Bags

A bag is what a saviour always. It helps to carry all the necessary things which you may need any time of the day. The sleek bag will make a statement while you shop with your or go for a picnic and a hand clutch will be perfect for those late night parties and for the ladies who go for formal events.

Scarf

A classy and good fabric scarf is all you need to style your plain and boring clothes. You can sport a scarf with your denim, tees and practically everything you own.

A hat

If you’re having a bad hair day or you just want to add some edge to your attire, a hat is a perfect accessory to top off a look. And as an added advantage you get saved from all those harmful sun rays.

5 Foods for Maintaining Good Vision

There are many foods that all contribute to having healthy eyes but each has their own benefits. These foods for eye health help to promote the clarity of your vision. Jumia Food, Nigeria's no 1 food ordering platform, will discuss several foods and vitamins that have the ability to improve your vision and are the best foods for your eyes.

Eggs

The vitamins and nutrients in eggs promote eye health and overall functionality. The vitamin A in eggs protects against night blindness and dry eyes. It is also full of eye-friendly antioxidants that assist in taking care of your eyes. So, consider adding eggs for eye health in your daily routine.

Fruits and vegetables

Foods such as carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, pumpkin and corn are excellent sources of vitamin A and vitamin C. In addition, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and berries are also high in vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of cataracts.

Nuts

Nuts such as almonds, kernels and cashew are all good sources of vitamin E. Vitamin E may serve as a great antioxidant agent against cataracts. Having a handful a day provides half of your daily dose of vitamin E. Nuts are just one of the best food for the eyes.

Green vegetables

Green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and broccoli are good for healthy eyesight and preventing eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Fish

Fish has the ability to improve overall eye health. It is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which can protect against cataracts, dry eye syndrome. This omega 3 fatty acid is a healthy fat that results in stronger and healthier eyes. Most importantly, these fatty acids contribute to the visual development and the health of the retina.

When it comes to healthy eating, there’s one strategy that works time and again which is planning ahead. This is because the time you probably may throw your healthy eating goals out the window is when you are busy. This said you do not have to spend hours preparing your meals. These points shared by Jumia Food, Nigeria's no 1 food ordering platform will help you quicken your food preparation process.

Buy, wash and chop

While this tip may appear time-consuming, washing and chopping necessary groceries after purchasing it, in the long run, saves time because you only have to go through this process once. Doing this will make meals like soups, and salads take a fraction of your time to make.

Clean as you go

Clean dishes and wipe down counters so you won’t have to spend time doing it after dinner. You will also have an easier time getting things cleaned if the mess is still fresh.

Master your microwave

Almost everyone has a microwave, but most of us only use it to warm leftovers. A microwave can be your best friend if you’re trying to eat healthily and spend less time in the kitchen. You can make tons of healthy foods in the microwave, including oatmeal, eggs, fish, and sweet potatoes.

Save new recipes for weekends

When you stick with your tried-and-true recipes during the week, you won’t be rushing to get ingredients together or hovering over the recipe card to make sure you did everything just right. Experiment with new recipes when you’re less pressed for time, like during the weekends.

Freeze leftover ingredients

If you have any leftover food, package all of them and free them. Once frozen, store them in freezer bags for quick and easy use in future recipes.

Many people struggle with dry, dehydrated skin. Not only does dry skin tends to be itchy and irritating, it can make wrinkles more noticeable. So, what can you do to prevent having a dry skin? Jumia, the online store you can trust, shares ways you can moisturise a dry skin.

Apply a moisturizer immediately after bathing

Before applying a moisturizer, be sure to pat your skin with a towel until it's almost dry instead of rubbing it. This is because toweling vigorously can irritate a dry and sensitive skin. Afterward, use moisturizer immediately. This helps plug the spaces between your skin cells and seal in moisture while your skin is still damp.

Use the right cleanser

A cleanser is a facial care product that is used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, oil, and dirt. So, use cleansers that contain ingredients known to provide that much-needed moisture. Chances are the more gentle the cleanser, the less harsh on the skin. Look for facial cleansers that are specially formulated for dry skins. They are richer, creamier and lotion-like in texture.

Hydrate from the inside

Stay hydrated by drinking good water. Drink water to stay hydrated from the inside out as this can help skin stay dry. Also, the more water you drink the more you look younger.

Give yourself a good scrub

A good exfoliation from your face to your toes can really help your skin retain moisture. Scrubbing helps to remove the dead and dying skin cells from the surface, revealing new healthy skin cells beneath. It’s the newer cells closest to the surface that is the moistest.

Don’t let your house get too dry

When you turn on the heater, the air in your home dries out, and the moisture in your skin evaporates quickly. Use a vaporizer or humidifier to keep indoor air moisturised to prevent your skin from drying out.

You may be having the time of your life being pregnant and eager to welcome a new life to this world. While all the good things are happening around, you may still be having problems understanding your own body. One of the bodily functions that change quickly during pregnancy is digestion.

Due to pregnancy hormones, the muscles and intestinal walls start relaxing which results in slowed digestion. While it is an obvious change that takes place in your body during pregnancy, you can go through some serious problems if your digestion gets imbalanced. Regardless, you do not need to worry as Jumia Food, Nigeria's no 1 food ordering platform, shares interesting ways to improve food digestion during pregnancy.

Drink plenty of water

Although it is quite a basic tip for your daily life, this can be of great help to reduce indigestion during pregnancy. While you are pregnant, try and make drinking several glasses of water your daily consumption. Also, make sure that the water you drink is clean and germ-free so that you don’t drink contaminated water.

Eat foods high in fibre

Eating high fibre diet can be a good option to speed up your metabolism at any time. When you are pregnant, make sure that you eat fibre-rich food such as peas, vegetables, fruits, beans and more. This helps to keep food moving inside your digestive tract resulting in prevention of constipation.

Regular exercise

Keep moving during your pregnancy as it can be very helpful for your digestive system. Even if you take twenty minutes a day to exercise, you can always feel the difference. When you engage in regular exercise, food will not get stuck in your digestive tract as your body movement will quicken metabolism.

Eat on schedule

While pregnant, you need to take care of your diet in a proper way as better diet can help you throughout your pregnancy period, during delivery and beyond. The scheduled eating habits can train your system to digest food in an easier way. So, try to sit down for breakfast, lunch and dinner at around the same time as you did the day before.

Eat in small proportions

Eating your food in small portions can let your digestive tract have some time to digest the food and maintain space for the next portion. While it takes a lot of time and effort for your digestive system to digest a large portion of food, eating small portions from time to time can easily fasten your digestion.

Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol

Smoking and drinking during pregnancy can lead to digestive infections and ulcers while also affecting negatively the mental and physical development of your baby during pregnancy. So, it is better to skip these bad habits during your nine months to have a healthy and happy pregnancy, free of any digestive problems. Instead, drink a lot of water.

A well-rounded diet should always be packed with the right amount of protein. One of the popular protein is an egg. This said, there are other foods that are richer in protein than egg. Jumia Food, Nigeria’s no 1 food ordering platform, shares these foods.

Shrimp

Shrimp is so low in calories, and so high in protein. This food is also extremely freezer-friendly as it can last for about three to six months.

Chicken

If you do not like eggs, your best option is chicken. It is an affordable and versatile protein-rich food. Its protein content is much more than the protein content of eggs. Chicken tastes well and can be included in many dishes.

Beans

Beans is packed full of protein. This popular meal is high in terms of proteins, iron, and potassium. The best part is the fact that they retain their vitamin C content even after boiling. They are also rich in antioxidants which protect the brain cells against damage.

Broccoli

Broccoli is highly nutritious. It is loaded with vitamin K, C and fibre and lots of protein. If compared with other vegetables, the protein content of this veggie is the highest.

Tilapia

If you're not a huge fish fan, but still want all the low-calorie high-protein benefits fish can provide, tilapia is a great option to keep in mind. It has a mild, inoffensive flavour and is quick and easy to make.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or you simply want to eat healthier, keeping hunger and cravings under control is essential to reaching this goal. To help you reach this goal quicker, Jumia Food, Nigeria's no 1 food ordering platform, shares some healthy foods to control your appetite.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt’s thick, creamy texture helps to make the body feel full. You can add fruit or nuts to boost its satisfying benefits.

Water

Although water passes through the digestive system very quickly, it can still help decrease your appetite. Often, some people mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking water and staying hydrated throughout the day helps you control your appetite.

Almonds

Almonds are another great source of healthy fats and make for a great snack between meals. Note that the hunger-reducing effects of nuts tend to take about half an hour before you feel them, so eat them before you reach the point of being extremely hungry, or you’ll be tempted to eat more than you need.

Avocados

Avocados get their creamy texture from healthy fats, which take a long time for the body to digest and therefore, can help suppress your cravings. They’re also an excellent source of fibre, which forms a thick gel as it travels through the gut, slowing digestion.

Legumes

Legumes that include beans and peas are an excellent vegetarian source of protein that can be enjoyed in soups, salad and more. They are high in fibre which cannot be immediately digested by the bodies.

Meat

The high protein and fat content in meat means that it is digested more slowly than most foods. Meat also takes longer to chew, which also contributes to feeling full. To many, a meal is not complete without meat so it may make you feel fuller.

There are different occasions or reasons that may prompt you to cook outdoors. However, not many people understand the safety precautions that should be adhered to while engaging in outdoor cooking. If you do not, things can go awfully wrong. As such, Jumia Food, Nigeria's leading food ordering platform, shares outdoor cooking tips every person should.

Budgeting and picking a safe location

First, you should plan your budget which should cover food, choice of location, transportation and other financial and safety considerations. By having a well-planned budget that provides for everything, you will be ready to confront any eventuality as they occur.

Create a restricted area for kids

Another important safety step is to create a no-kids zone and also placing vigilant adults at strategic points to enforce it. Kids, by their very nature, are quite careless and carefree. Kids are also very curious and playful and will not have any problems turning on the gas valve or even setting fire to a gas canister. It is therefore very important that kids are restricted from accessing certain areas.

Avoid alcohol consumption while cooking

For safety purposes, it is advisable that you shouldn’t drink while cooking. This rule should apply to everyone involved in the cooking process. It is dangerous as the alcohol could start a fire or the alcohol could make you clumsy, tipsy and careless.

Properly manage the cooking process

It is always important to have many hands assisting in outdoor cooking activities. It is totally unwise to leave the entire cooking process to a single individual as this may tire the person out and increases the possibility of mistakes due to tiredness.

Dispose food waste properly

It is not possible to consume all food you cook every time. As such, you may store unused food using a food vacuum sealer, and you eat that later with the same taste as first cooked. After you have concluded your outdoor cooking activities, it is imperative that waste and trash be properly disposed to avoid leftover foods from decomposing in the open and causing health and environmental hazard.