Precious Obogo
Jumia has announced strong first-quarter 2026 performance results, with Nigeria emerging as one of the company’s standout growth markets across Africa, reinforcing the country’s position as a critical driver of the company’s long-term expansion strategy.
According to the company’s Q1 2026 financial results released May 7th, 2026, Nigeria recorded a 42 per cent year-on-year increase in physical goods Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), making it one of Jumia’s strongest-performing markets during the period.
Commenting on the performance, Temidayo Ojo, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, said, “Nigeria continues to demonstrate the strength and resilience of its digital commerce ecosystem. The growth we recorded in Q1 reflects increasing consumer confidence, stronger engagement across our platform, and our continued investment in technology, logistics, and customer experience.”
“We are seeing more Nigerians embrace e-commerce not just for convenience, but as a trusted part of everyday life. Our focus remains on building a platform that is more accessible, more reliable, and more relevant to the evolving needs of Nigerian consumers and sellers,” Ojo further mentioned.
The company attributed its broader growth trajectory to disciplined execution, operational efficiency, and increased deployment of technology and AI-driven systems across its operations.
According to the report, Jumia leveraged artificial intelligence and automation across operations, finance, customer support, cybersecurity, seller management, logistics, and technology teams to improve service quality while reducing operational costs company-wide.
The company also noted that technology and content expenses declined year-on-year due to ongoing headcount optimisation and savings from renegotiated technology contracts, while operational leverage continued to improve. They further highlighted increased use of AI tools among its technology teams, alongside automation in call centres and operational systems, as part of efforts to scale sustainably while improving efficiency across African markets.
Across the platform, Jumia reported significant gains in customer retention and marketplace engagement. Quarterly Active Customers reached 2.5 million, while physical goods orders climbed to 5.9 million in Q1 2026.
The company also expanded usage beyond major urban centres, with 62% of total orders now coming from secondary cities and upcountry regions, emphasising the growing reach of digital commerce across Africa.
Despite global economic pressures, including rising memory chip and CPU prices and supply chain disruptions linked to ongoing Middle East conflicts, the company reaffirmed its path toward profitability.
Jumia stated that it remains on track to achieve Adjusted EBITDA breakeven and positive cash flow in Q4 2026, with full-year profitability targeted for 2027.