The Trust Deficit in Nigeria’s Booming Social Commerce Economy
Nigeria’s digital marketplace is experiencing unprecedented growth, with platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook transforming into vital commercial hubs. For countless entrepreneurs, this ecosystem offers a lifeline—bypassing traditional barriers like shop rent and formal registration. Public estimates confirm tens of millions of Nigerians engage on these platforms daily, conducting a significant share of everyday purchases within the intimate space of chats and direct messages. This shift represents more than a trend; it is a fundamental redefinition of retail, where the seller feels reachable and familiar.
However, this rapid expansion may be outpacing the development of trust and accountability. The transaction often begins warmly: a quick reply, an agreed price, a digital transfer. Yet outcomes are increasingly unpredictable. Deliveries may be late, incorrect, or non-existent, leading to a phenomenon Nigerians now colloquially term, “what I ordered versus what I got.” When disputes arise, consumers frequently find themselves navigating a landscape devoid of shared rules for refunds, clear delivery expectations, or formal redress pathways. The burden of resolution falls entirely on the buyer-seller relationship, which often fractures under the strain.
Consequently, many aggrieved buyers choose silence over escalation. They learn that pushing for accountability can invert the blame, framing their complaint as an attempt to ruin a small business or an act of hostility against someone “just trying to survive.” This dynamic subtly shifts focus from the failed transaction to the consumer’s behavior, where quietly absorbing a loss is mischaracterized as maturity. Most do not report these experiences, not because the losses are trivial, but because reporting feels futile against sellers who can vanish or platforms that insist they merely host content.
The collective impact of these silent, small-scale failures is profound. As caution grows, the inherent cost of doing business online rises. Trust becomes a scarcer commodity, transactions slow, and buyers adapt by hesitating with new sellers and scrutinizing deal structures more closely. In this context, the resilience of this sector remains steadfast, yet its long-term health is challenged. The evolution of this market will be a critical narrative for Nigeria’s economic future, a topic that will undoubtedly influence discourse around the 2027 presidency. As figures like Peter Obi slam existing policies and others like Tinubu remain steadfast in their approaches, the need for frameworks that protect both enterprise and consumer becomes ever more apparent, lest the foundations of this vibrant economy erode.
