Nigerian informal retailers turn tech-savvy to stock up amid pandemic
NNEKA CHILE and ABRAHAM ACHIRGA WHEN the coronavirus outbreak forced shops to close in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, kiosk store owner Funmilayo Akinola weighed up her safety against the need to make a living. After deciding that she couldn't afford to stop working, she faced the challenge of replenishing her stock as the pandemic has made it harder for informal traders to buy wholesale goods due to safety measures disrupting supply chains. The answer lay in a logistics firm that provides an online marketplace where manufacturers and retailers connect. Lagos-based Trade Depot delivered goods that she bought using the company's…