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PC Market Declines in MEA in Q1 2017

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The Middle East and Africa (MEA) personal computing devices (PCD) market experienced a decline of -8.8% year on year in Q1 2017, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The global technology research and consulting firm’s Quarterly PCD Tracker for Q1 2017 shows that PCD shipments fell to around 6 million units for the quarter, the lowest levels recorded since Q4 2011.

The market’s slump was primarily rooted in the fall in demand for traditional desktops and slate tablets, with shipments of these devices suffering year-on-year declines of 25.3% and 16.9%, respectively. Detachable tablets, on the other hand, experienced incredible growth of 102.5% over the same period, albeit coming from a smaller base. Notebook shipments were also up in Q1 2017, with units increasing 5.9% year on year.

“The overall economic slowdown in most parts of the region has been a key inhibitor of the PCD market’s performance, as it has led to slower business activity and negatively impacted consumer sentiment,” says Fouad Charakla, senior research manager for client devices at IDC MEA. “At the same time, the demand for slate tablets continues to be cannibalized by the increasing shift among home users to the use of smartphones for tasks previously performed on tablets.

“Demand for desktops has been the worst hit, with the ongoing transition towards notebooks, detachable tablets, and refurbished devices all having an impact to varying degrees across the region’s key markets, while the overall slowdown in PCD demand is further exacerbating the issue.

“One bright spark amidst the negativity is that youth IT education remains a major driver of PCD demand in the region. Indeed, deliveries for a massive education project in Kenya continued in Q1 2017 and served as the biggest driver of detachable tablet shipments in the region. Additionally, large-scale volumes of notebooks were delivered into the education sectors of Pakistan and Kenya during the quarter, helping to spur growth in this segment.”

While IDC expects education to remain a strong contributor of PCD demand, it should be noted that IDC’s forecast data only incorporates deals that have a very strong likelihood of materializing and for which the quantity and timing is already known. As such, the longer-term growth potential for education demand in 2018 and beyond is not fully reflected in the forecast.

Looking at the PC vendor rankings for Q1 2017, all of the top five vendors maintained their positions when compared to the previous quarter. They all experienced slow year-on-year growth in terms of market share, with the exception of Acer, which suffered a drastic decline in shipments as a result of a significant slowdown in Turkey and several parts of Africa.

Looking ahead, IDC expects the MEA PCD market to experience a year-on-year decline of 8.2% for 2017 as a whole. This will correspond to a total of 24 million shipments for the year, which is the lowest annual volumes recorded since 2011.

“In a continuation of the trend seen over the past few quarters, the decline will primarily stem from a slowdown in demand for traditional desktops and slate tablets,” says Charakla. “And while we expect these two products categories to continue declining over the coming years, growing demand for detachable tablets, ultraslim notebooks, all-in-ones, and convertible notebooks will help to keep the overall PCD market afloat. And with key markets across the region expected to regain some stability, IDC is forecasting a return to positive PCD growth for the coming years, albeit at very slow rates.”


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Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.

GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.

In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.

Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).

GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.


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Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”

Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.

A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.

Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”

Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.

“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”


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Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.

The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.

He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.

This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.

GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.

The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”

As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.

With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.

 


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