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Omidyar Network stakes interest in Nigeria’s travel, tourism sector

OMIDYAR Network has announced an investment in Hotels.ng, the largest hotel-booking platform in Nigeria. The company provides an online marketplace to connect consumers to more than 14,000 small and medium hotels in the country, most with no prior digital presence. The Series A round investment is part of Omidyar Network’s Consumer Internet & Mobile initiative,…
Okolloh

Okolloh

OMIDYAR Network has announced an investment in Hotels.ng, the largest hotel-booking platform in Nigeria.

The company provides an online marketplace to connect consumers to more than 14,000 small and medium hotels in the country, most with no prior digital presence. The Series A round investment is part of Omidyar Network’s Consumer Internet & Mobile initiative, which focuses on supporting new digital solutions to connect people, enabling them to share ideas and do business more efficiently and at scale “Omidyar Network knows firsthand the power of e-commerce to drive social and economic development”, said , investments director at Omidyar Network.

“Hotels.ng hits all the marks of an investment with positive impact by leveraging online technology to connect buyers and sellers, supporting local small and medium businesses, and boosting consumers confidence in digital channels.

Omidyar Network’s investment will be used to expand the reach of the Hotels.ng platform to 90 per cent of Nigerian hotels in the next three years, as well as finance the company’s coverage expansion to 50 per cent of hotels across Africa. Hotels.ng currently covers 21 regions in Nigeria.

“As Nigeria emerges as a travel destination and attracts investment of the big international hotel chains, Hotels.ng offers small, family-owned properties an easy and cost-effective way to compete for new clients and expand their business,” said Mark Essien, CEO and founder of Hotels.ng. “Omidyar Network was a logical partner for us, as their social mission is very aligned with our own and e-commerce is in their DNA.”

Nigeria is looking to diversify an economy that is highly dependent on oil revenues, and travel and tourism is gaining status as a strategic sector.

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