*As new CEO takes over Jumia Nigeria

By Dickson Omobola, edited by Prince Osuagwu

That technology has enormous potential to transform the day-to-day activity of an average human for the better is indisputable. This is because of the endless possibilities it offers, one of which is breaking traditional barriers.

Though Africa gained prominence for its conventional methods of doing things, it is worthy of note that Jumia, brought to Africans, digital innovation in e-Commerce, through technology’s limitless capabilities.

As much as that brought immense benefit to Africans who subscribed,  it however, also, made Jumia a leading e-commerce platform in the continent.

At an event in Lagos, recently, Jumia claimed that over the past year, it has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape across Africa and will continue to do so.

With the e-commerce industry in Nigeria expected to see significant growth in 2024, Jumia has made a commitment to sustaining the provision of convenient and accessible online shopping experiences for Nigerians and all Africans.

Part of the strategies to achieve the sustenace is the recent appointment of an industry veteran, thought leader and one of the finnest growth managers of the sector,  Mr  Sunil Natraj to take over management of Jumia Nigeria, as Chief Executive Officer. His appointment takes effect January 1, 2024.

This appointment is aimed at making Jumia sharper and faster to delight more and more customers with their needs.

Sunil, who will work closely with partners and vendors to make Jumia their most preferred sales channel, will be taking over from former CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi, who will be leaving the company on December 31, 2023.

Speaking in Lagos upon his appointment, Sunil promised to keep the company’s momentum, adding that bigger things would be achieved.

He said: “I am thrilled I will be leading Jumia in Nigeria, one of our largest markets, and to help transform Africa’s economy through e-commerce. It is an honour to contribute to Jumia’s success in the country, prioritising customer satisfaction, secure payments, and strong partnerships. Our dedicated team is key to our future success, and I am confident we will achieve even greater milestones, always earning our customers’ trust.”

Also speaking, CEO of Jumia Group, Francis Dufay, said: “We extend our sincere thanks and wish the best to Massi as he departs our teams following 11 years since the very start of Jumia. Massi has been part of the founding team since Jumia was launched in 2012 and has covered many leadership roles across all our countries and functions until his current one as CEO in Nigeria and EVP for the group. We wish the very best for Sunil for this new challenge.”

Sunil’s profile

Sunil is an IT Engineer and holds an MBA from The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, with extensive experience in Sub-saharan Africa.

Prior to Jumia, he managed and built brands in Sub-saharan Africa and has handled large businesses in the FMCG sector. He has been based in Africa for over 11 years, where he worked for large multinationals such as GBFoods.

He joined Jumia in 2022 and briefly handled the Jumia Express logistics business as VP of Sales and Marketing before transitioning to become the CEO of Jumia in Ghana.

Before becoming the CEO of Jumia in Ghana, Sunil handled the Jumia Express logistics business as VP of Sales and Marketing based in Lagos, Nigeria. He has worked towards cost definitions and reduction, price definition and standardisation, and business development and growth.

Under his leadership, Jumia Ghana has seen stellar growth with revenues growing almost 100 per cent YoY in USD despite Ghana witnessing over 40 per cent inflation.

Sunil has taken Jumia to all parts of Ghana and Jumia Ghana now has a higher share of orders coming in from upcountry rather than from the capital city

In his FMCG career, he has managed and built brands in the Sub-Saharan African region and has handled large businesses with turnovers in excess of USD 150mn per annum.