Photo Credit: Businessdayonline
The month long fuel scarcity in Nigeria had a crippling effect on the economy. At its peak, it had power supply cut
off, education institutions shut down, banks capacitated, flights cancelled, radio stations cease broadcast, and public service paralyzed.
MTN, Airtel and Etisalat, three of the four major telecoms companies operating in Nigeria issued official statements
warning subscribers of the potential impact that the fuel shortage could have on the quality of service.
Individuals
and businesses alike were affected with hike in cost of transportation,
price of food stuff and general
standard of living. From the outside there appeared to be no visible
impact of the fuel shortage on the e-commerce sector, however a release
by online shopping community Kaymu, revealed that the shortage
of fuel affected the company and its customers in a unique way.
The Nigerian law prohibits the sale of fuel outside of registered gas stations; despite this, the online shopping
community witnessed increased inquiry on the sale of fuel on its platform.
Twitter fan @donfowzy posted “@ KaymuNigeria Please I want to buy diesel”, while other social
media users seeking an alternative means of buying fuel, were disappointed to find that they couldn’t.
This
resulted in Kaymu carrying out a survey on Nigerians' willingness to
buy fuel online. The findings revealed that
73% of Nigerians were willing to buy fuel online if the law permitted.
The survey also showed that 19% of Nigerians were unaware of the
prohibition against selling fuel outside of gas stations.
Furthermore the online marketplace witnessed increased visits and purchases during this period which may be attributed
to the restriction of movement caused by the high cost of transportation.
According
to Tomiwa Oladele, Head of PR and Communications Kaymu, “It’s
remarkable to see how Nigerians have taken
to e-commerce. The confidence and willingness to buy a commodity such
as fuel online not only exposes Nigerians frustration at the fuel crisis
but reveals their acceptability of alternative and more convenient ways
of buying and selling”.
“The rise in orders during the fuel scarcity has necessitated ancillary delivery and logistics processes to meet the
growing demand of online shoppers”, she stated.
The Rocket Internet backed venture, regarded by some as Nigeria’s Ebay, is an online shopping community that empowers
entrepreneurs by providing a platform for buyers and sellers to meet and conduct business transactions in a safe environment.
Since
the strike action by Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN)
and National Union of Petroleum and
Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) was called off few days to the
inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the fuel crisis in Nigeria
has been dwindling to a halt, however not fast enough, as many filling
stations in the Lagos Metropolis are still ridden with
long fuel queues.
About Kaymu
Kaymu
is Nigeria’s number one shopping community where buyers and sellers can
meet
and make the best deals for used or new products, such as: mobile
phones, laptops, latest fashion and clothing products and home
appliances. Visit www.kaymu. com.ng to
explore its offerings.
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