Temidayo Ojo, the newly appointed Jumia Nigeria CEO, has ruled out any plans for job cuts.
Instead, he has set his sights on expanding Jumia’s services into Nigeria’s secondary cities, deepening customer experience, and strengthening the seller ecosystem.
According to a Technext report, Ojo laid out a roadmap that reflects both his confidence in the Nigerian e-commerce sector and a deep understanding of the terrain.
“There are no plans to cut jobs. We’ve already streamlined our operations in recent times, and what we’re focused on now is growth,” Ojo said. “Our people are one of our strongest assets, and I believe we have the right team in place to achieve our goals.”
What This Means
Ojo’s appointment follows the departure of Sunil Natraj, who served as CEO of Jumia Nigeria after a stint in Ghana. Prior to this new role, Ojo led Jumia Ghana where he was credited with revitalising operations and strengthening market share.
He originally joined the company in 2020 as Head of Planning and Performance and rose rapidly within its leadership pipeline.
Describing the appointment as both a personal and professional milestone, Ojo noted that heading Jumia Nigeria brings with it a sense of homecoming and responsibility.
“Being appointed CEO of Jumia Nigeria is a great honour and a deeply personal milestone for me,” he said. “This role presents a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the continued growth of e-commerce in one of Africa’s most dynamic markets.”
Building on a Strong Q1
Jumia Nigeria has shown improvements over the past year, with the company noting its Q1 2025 reached a 22% year-on-year increase in Physical Goods Orders and a 20% rise in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
Ojo was quick to acknowledge the role of his predecessor in this turnaround, pledging continuity rather than disruption.
“Nigeria has seen a strong turnaround, and Jumia is succeeding, as evidenced by our Q1 2025 results,” he said. “This shows both increased user engagement and operational effectiveness. We remain committed to building on this momentum.”
Understanding Jumia’s Operations
Ojo’s leadership comes at a time when Nigeria’s e-commerce sector faces layered challenges: poor infrastructure, fluctuating currency, and regional disparities in consumer behaviour.
Ojo believes that his experience in navigating these dynamics will be pivotal to unlocking new growth opportunities in Nigeria’s vast secondary cities.
According to Ojo, Jumia Nigeria’s focus is expected to shift toward unlocking new markets outside the country’s commercial centres, an approach that could have ripple effects on the broader Nigerian digital economy.
With this approach, experts believe Ojo may be positioning Jumia not just as a retail platform, but as a catalyst for economic participation across underserved regions.
With venture capital inflows dropping by over 40% in Africa in 2024, according to Partech data, many Nigerian tech companies are being forced to reduce its workforce size.
According to reports, startups like Paystack and Flutterwave have reportedly slowed hiring, paused regional expansions, and quietly restructured internal teams.
The ripple effect of these job cuts, industry analysts say, is palpable across the tech ecosystem, from developers and marketing staff to logistics personnel and customer service reps.
Talking Points
The wave of job cuts sweeping across Nigeria’s tech sector is a sobering reminder that even high-growth industries are not immune to macroeconomic headwinds.
At Techparley, we recognise that these cutbacks reflect a broader recalibration happening across Africa’s digital economy, one where the exuberance of rapid scaling is giving way to leaner, more disciplined growth models.
While layoffs are difficult, they also present an opportunity for the ecosystem to reassess, restructure, and innovate around more sustainable, long-term business strategies.
The fact that multiple companies within the same industry are making similar moves suggests structural challenges are being felt across the board.
As we’ve seen in other markets, downturns often spark resilience and reinvention. The Nigerian tech scene has the talent and ambition to bounce back, but it must now build with an eye toward durability, not just scale.
