Make policies in favour of e-commerce to solve unemployment, entrepreneurs plead

Some entrepreneurs in Ibadan say the country will overcome unemployment problem if governments in all levels can promote policies in favour of e-commence business.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Ibadan, the entrepreneurs insist that the youth ought to be the target of such policies on e-commerce business to drive the economy.

In his view, Mr David Afolayan, an information technologist, noted that e-commerce business had contributed so much to the economy of the developed countries.He cited the examples of Uber and Airbnb online business that, without physical structures, made billions of dollars in revenue generation between 2016 and 2017.

He observed that e-commerce business “is an emerging market in Nigeria that is be expected to contribute about 10 per cent, valued at N2.5 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product by 2018.

However, in the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics record of the second quarter of 2018, e-commerce trade stood at a very low percentage, according to him.

Afolayan said that with the right government policies in place as well as standardisation and quality control by various government agencies, e-commerce business would thrive to boost the economy of the country and provide jobs.

“Our postal system needs to be enhanced, mailing addresses need to be improved on and the awareness must be there for e-commerce to blossom,’’ he said.

Similarly, Mr Adesegun Fatoki, an entrepreneur, highlighted various challenges facing e-commerce business and advised the stakeholders to look into the challenges.

“The question is do people involved have enough skills; and what are the products you offer online for sale and are we ready in Nigeria to embrace online business without empathy?

“Government should create awareness and support for the development of e-commerce in the country, especially for software engineers as well as loan facilities at low interest rate,’’ Fatoki said.

Also, Mr Sola Lasisi, a Jumia online sales outlet representative, said that although the business online business could be worthwhile, “it requires capital and dedication as well as trust from the consumers to make a living from it.

“Government should come to our aid so we can access loans at subsidised interest, getting loans is difficult because of the repayment procedure and the cut-throat interest rates attached to it especially from micro-finance outlets.