Here is a comprehensive list of online shopping sites in Nigeria and tips to shop safely online.
Ecommerce has grown tremendously in Nigeria in the past five (5) years, as a result of this growth, there are various online shops in Nigeria, and online shopping in Nigeria has taken a whole new dimension.
Online shopping is not just the easiest way to buy things right now. It’s one of the best ways to check out various items and compare them before making your choice.
Shopping online in Nigeria has grown tremendously over the years, and as a result of a larger percentage of Nigerians now buy their desired electronic and fashion items online.
I have compiled a list of online shopping sites in Nigeria, and hopefully, you’d find it resourceful.
Online Shopping Sites In Nigeria
1. Jumia
Jumia claims to be the number one online retailer store in Nigeria. They sell various types of items ranging from electronic devices to fashion accessories and toys; name it.
Being one of the most popular online stores in Nigeria, they have established their brand as a household name in Nigeria, just like you have Amazon and eBay in the United States.
They are based in Lagos but deliver across the country. They also have pay on a delivery option that allows buyers to pay only when their goods are being delivered.
2. Konga
Konga is currently the most popular eCommerce store in Nigeria. It’s said to have the highest funding for a start-up in Africa.
It sells various items directly and through other merchant sites. Konga has its own payment and delivery system.
Konga is also based in Lagos but offers a nationwide delivery.
3. Kaymu
Kaymu is a general e-commerce retail store. They sell various items and rely solely on merchant retail. They allow sellers to create a store and list their items.
A buyer can then make a purchase, and as such Kaymu stands in between the buyers and sellers to ensure a smooth transaction.
4. Slot
Slot Nigeria Limited is a trendy electronic retailer in Nigeria. They have both offline and offline stores. They sell online electronic devices; mainly phones and laptops.
Slot limited sells the most popular brand products like Samsung, HP, Tecno, Apple, etc.
5. Microstation
Microstation is very much similar to that of Jumia; they have both online and offline store and sells electronic product.
6. GidiMall
Just like Konga, Jumia, and Payporte, GidiMall offers to pay on delivery service as well, so you don’t have to worry about losing your hard-earned money online.
GidiMall offers a wide range of products from electronic appliances to fashion and other accessories. They offer both direct sales options and merchant sales.
7. Payporte
Payporte is one of the fastest-growing online shopping sites in Nigeria. They recently introduced their pay-on-delivery service just like Jumia and Konga. They retail various types of items.
Payporte is headquartered in Abuja, but the process to all states of the country. They offer free delivery service to customers in Lagos and Abuja for most of their products, and their pay-on-delivery service is completely free.
8. Drinks.ng
Drinks.ng claims to be the largest alcohol and non-alcoholic wine delivery service in Nigeria. We’ve seen sites that are focused only on technology products or fashion products solely.
Drinks focus mainly on beverages delivery across the country. They offer a wide range of payment options and offer quick delivery service; especially within Lagos.
9. Mystore
Mystore is a self-acclaimed number one online largest indigenous marketplace in Nigeria. They provide a platform where buyers and sellers meet to complete their purchase transactions.
They provide a large marketplace for various categories of products.
10. Smartbuy
Smartbuy is another online shop In Nigeria that focuses solely on electronic products. Located in Lagos, but deliver across the 36 states of the country.
They sell branded electronic and mobile phone items.
11. Techmall
Very similar to Smartbuy and other technology-focused online shopping sites. They sell only electronic products.
They offer to pay for delivery service; they also offer free delivery service in Lagos as well as cash on delivery service for customers.
12. JIJI
Jiji is not a typical shopping site compared to the ones I have listed above. It’s a listing website where sellers list items for sales and buyers with interest, can make direct contact with the buyer to complete their transaction.
Although there are numerous products listed on Jiji, however, the main issue is the security of the transaction, because there has been a report of fraud on the site.
This list of online shopping sites in Nigeria is not completed because there are other shopping sites.
But I have decided to list out the ones I have personal experience with to avoid recommending sites I don’t know much about.
When buying online, it’s important to put some security measures in place to avoid falling victim to online fraud.
If the site you’re about to purchase offers payment on delivery, I strongly advise that you take advantage of the pay on delivery option to avoid using your card on sites you don’t trust.
You can also Google search the site online to check the experience of users.
Tips For Safe Online Shopping in Nigeria
The most exciting development in the eCommerce market in Nigeria is the introduction of “Pay On Delivery” options in most online shops In Nigeria.
The pay-on-delivery option does not only increase Nigerians’ trust in e-commerce, but it also provides an avenue to see what you’re buying before making payment.
Although the number of reported fraud in Nigeria e-commerce is not alarming as compared to other developed countries with cases of credit card fraud. It is important to keep some safety measures in place when doing online shopping in Nigeria.
Here are safety measures to keep you safe when shopping online in Nigeria.
1. Pay On Delivery
Most popular eCommerce stores in Nigeria (Konga, Jumia, Kaymu) now offer pay-on-delivery services. This kind of service allows the buyer to make payment only when their items are being delivered.
It’s advisable to take advantage of this option when it is available in the store.
The pay-on-delivery option does not only protect your card details from exposure but also allows you to confirm the specification of the item you’re buying. Rather than paying and stressing yourself with return shipping in case the product isn’t what you want.
2. Use Virtual Card
Well, I don’t know of other banks. But Guarantee trust bank now offers a virtual card option that can be linked with your regular master card.
The virtual card can be used once and deleted, and you can generate as many virtual cards as you want from the same card.
When purchasing an item online, using a public internet service or a public computer, the virtual card option is the best way to prevent other users and hackers from having access to your card details.
3. Shipping Address
Nigeria addresses are not always specific; this makes it very easy to lose your package due to poor specification.
When shopping online in Nigeria, try as much as possible to be explicit when describing your residential address.
You should also find a way of adding your mobile number just in case there is a need for the delivery person to reach out to you when making a delivery.
If you live outside the big cities of Nigeria, it’s advisable to use an easily traceable proxy address, rather than your residential address provided it’s not easily identifiable.
4. 2-Step Verification
Although most banks don’t offer this option by default. I know GTbank usually requires customers to enter an OTP (One Time password) on the payment page when making payment online.
The OTP is automatically sent to the customer’s phone number associated with the bank account on which the transaction is about to occur.
So, if you don’t have the 2-step verification activated already, it’s advisable to visit the nearest branch of your bank and make inquiries about how to enable this service.
It does not incur additional cost on your account; so I see no reason why you shouldn’t activate it, especially when the benefits outweigh the disadvantages (if any at all)
You can also get a token device if your bank does not offer OTP on the mobile line. It cost about two thousand naira to get a token device for your bank account.
5. Use Familiar Website
Don’t just input your card details on any website because you think it’s a “good deal.” Hackers have the reputation of cloning popular sites in other to acquire information from users.
To avoid falling victim to such incidence, shop only on trusted websites. Don’t access the website by clicking on links sent to you through email.
Always input the URL address of the site into your browser yourself. That way, you’d be sure you’re accessing the original site and not a cloned version.
6. Password Should Be Password
I get it, you don’t want to forget your password, so you think using your name, or your date of birth would make it easy for you to remember. It is a horrible idea!
It’s supposed to be a password; something that cannot be easily guessed by a third party. Not your surname or date of birth.
When shopping on a website that stores payment and shipping details and you’re required to create an account on the site.
While creating an account, make sure you use a powerful password that is difficult to guess by your best friend.
It’s advisable to use upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Even if you forget the password over time, you can always use the “forgot password” option to recover your password through your email address.
7. Secure Your Computer and Browser
Ensure your computer operating system is up to date. Malware and other infections on your computer might make your computer susceptible to phishing attempts by hackers.
Always use updated browsers and have antivirus and malware protection software installed on your computer. Most of this software would alert you when you’re about to access an unsecured website.
8. HTTPS Not HTTP:
This might not make much difference to those that are not tech-savvy, but I would write about it either way.
Some online shops in Nigeria are more secure because of additional security measures installed on the server hosting the site. Websites with HTTPS (take note of the “s”) are considered more secured because of the secure socket layer attribute of the server.
Don’t ever shop on a website without the “s.” Such sites are liable to server attacks, and as a result, your details on their server might be at risk.
If you know of other popular online shopping sites or better ways to shop safely in Nigeria with which you have personal experience, you can mention them in the comment box, and I’d be happy to add them to the post.
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