OLX office in Nigeria has been shut. CEO of OLX in Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), Sjoerd Nikkelen, confirmed the development.
He confirmed that Naspershas sold its percentage share in Konga in the new wave strategy to grow its other businesses in Nigeria.
He explained further that shutting down its business in the country was a difficult but important decision, stressing that it was for the firm to consolidate its operations globally. No mention of Kenya or Ghana.
“We made a difficult but important decision in Nigeria to consolidate our operations between some of our offices internationally.
“Our marketplace will continue to operate here — uninterrupted — as it has since 2010, and we remain committed to the many people here who use our platform to buy and sell every month. We continue to be focused on constantly innovating to make sure that OLX remains the top classifieds platform in the country.
“Of course, we are committed to helping our affected colleagues during this transition and have already offered them meaningful financial and other support. As we’ve expressed to them directly, we are extremely grateful for their many significant contributions to OLX’s success,” Nikkelen was quoted to have said in a statement yesterday.
Public Relations and Communications Lead at OLX Nigeria, Uche Nwagboso, confirmed the development.
Multinational media group and investor Naspers had also shut down all OLX offices in Africa except the one in its home country. Operations in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya are going to be affected by this announcement, an unconfirmed report said.
OLX is a global classifieds platform, with physical presence in nearly 40 countries.
According to a report on Innovation Village, workers in these offices have been informed today and are expected to fully move out by the end of March 2018. The same report says OLX will still be present in these countries but will be run remotely and at press time, the Nigerian and Kenyan websites of OLX are still up and running.
Naspers also has investment in MultiChoice — operators of the DStv and GOtv satellite televisions —and had with AB Kinnevik, acquired Konga which Zinox Technologies has also acquired.
