Business
Unilever Launches ‘Everyday Essentials’ Store on Jumia
An e-commerce giant, Jumia says Unilever, a fast moving consumer goods manufacturer has officially launched its store on the platform.
The Head of Key Accounts and Brand Management, Jumia Nigeria, Steve Dakayi said in a statement that the store was tagged: “Everyday Essentials Store”.
Dakayi said that the development was a strategic opportunity for Jumia to increase the number of unique products listed on its platform, thereby expanding customers’ access to a wide variety of household products.
He also said that Unilever had used the opportunity to join the ranks of multinationals, who leverage on huge potential of e-commerce to create more visibility for their brands in Nigeria.
Dakayi said that the online store houses some of the company’s fast selling brands, such as Close-up Red Hot and Herbal lines, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pepsodent, Sunlight, Vaseline and Shea Moisture.
Also, Iqbal Farrukh, Modern Trade Director, Unilever said they were pleased to partner with Jumia to make their products available to customers and consumers by leveraging on technology through e-commerce channel.
“This is in line with our commitment to continuously seek innovative ways to make our products available and accessible to shoppers.
“Our message to consumers is that we will continue to live up to the commitment of making sustainable living a common place through our brands and operations.
“Apart from our relaunched Lifebuoy Soap, newly launched Pepsodent sensitive expert range and Shea Moisture, we have exciting new products planned for the year,” Farrukh said.
He said that the company’s shoppers on Jumia would be duly informed when new products would be launched.
Farrukh added that during the official flag off of the store, Unilever also launched the newly acquired Shea Moisture line of personal care products on Jumia’s platform.
Business
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Business
BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.
NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.
Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.
A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.
However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.
The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.
