By Olusegun Obisanya
Traders of Africa (TOFA), AliExpress, and MoMo have officially launched their strategic partnership, revolutionising Nigeria’s e-commerce landscape.
This pioneering collaboration offers Nigerians unrestricted access to global products, secure payments in local currency (NGN), competitive prices and exclusive discounts, and fast and reliable shipping options.
The partnership empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs, boosts economic development, and enhances digital infrastructure.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer, TOFA, Uju Uzo-Ojinaka made the disclosure during a hybrid press conference over the weekend in Lagos.
She stated, “We’re thrilled to bridge the gap between Nigerian consumers and global markets. Seven years ago, what I tried to build is Alibaba for Africa. TOFA is Alibaba for Africa. And in the last seven years because we know that one of the market leaders in the world is Alibaba, we have intentionally courted them. Many people buy everywhere in the world but payment and ability to see what is even available is a problem. What we set out to do is put African products on the platform, we created Traders of Africa.
“I’m actually very excited because today, we finally unveiled our partnership with AliExpress, Speedaf and MTN MoMo. This partnership makes it possible for people to buy on Traders of Africa, not only just African products, you’re also now able to buy AliExpress products. And you know that AliExpress has over 200 million products on their platform.”
According to her, partnership with MTN MoMo is to enhance customer’s easy payment in local currency of the buyer while Speedaf, a logistic service provider delivers the goods to the buyer’s desired destination across the country.
“Actually Speedaf is also in partnership with AliExpress to handle logistics and make sure that these things are delivered to your specified address. So it’s exciting and we call it shopping without borders. Because now you can pay with your MTN MoMo from your phone.
“This is our seventh year in operations and we are a marketplace, a Pan-African marketplace. So it’s for the whole of Africa. We are actually in partnership with the National Action Committee of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA). And we have become the execution arm for Africa in Nigeria, onboarding people on the platform through the AfCTA platform.
In his virtual address, Director of AliExpress Business Africa Key Account, Geoffrey Jiang expressed delight they are going into partnership with TOFA, MTN MoMo, and Speedaf.
He said, “In April, we were in Nigeria, and we visited the warehouse of Speedaf, and we had a workshop together with EWTP, our partners. Also, at that time, we have a discussion with TOFA that we can be in partnership. So, we always believe in our partnership with MTN MoMo, with Speedaf, with TOFA, and we can go far.”
Speaking, Executive Director, Strategy, MoMo PSB, Usoro Usoro said, “And underpinning connectivity is also the fact that people also need to make payments. Today, we are providing that by helping businesses, such as Traders of Africa, TOFA, to onboard on our platform and expose them to our customers and give them the payment rules that allows them to make their payments, to receive payments, and also for our customers to make payments, and in a simple and seamless manner.”
Deputy Managing Director, Speedaf, Emeka Nwangwu noted that with the level of investment in the country, the company has established many branches across the country and Africa, in order to provide timely delivery.
He posited, “The way it works is that everything that is purchased by everyone especially in Nigeria from China, is picked up by Speedaf, sent in across either by air or sea, cleared by Speedaf, warehoused by Speedaf and distributed across the country. The notifications from pickup to delivery goes out as soon as they come on each of those waybills or tracking numbers by any office or country the parcel passes through. There are notifications to the consignee and consignor.”
