Connect with us

E-Business

MEA HCP Market Stagnate for 5th Consecutive Quarter

Published

on

IDC.jpg
Kindly share this post

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) hardcopy peripherals (HCP) market recorded a slight decline of 0.3% year on year in the second quarter of 2013 (Q2 2013), with shipments totaling 1,545,853 units, according to the latest figures from International Data Corporation (IDC), the world’s premier IT and communications market intelligence and events firm.

The market’s revenue growth remained flat over the same period at 0.0%.

“The growth dynamics of the MEA market differed significantly in Q2 2013 from one country to another,” said  Mitri Roufka, IDC’s research director for imaging, printing, and document solutions across the CEMA region.

“Political instability in many countries across the region, the ongoing conflict in Syria, Iraq’s deteriorating security and political situation, Iran’s economic and political struggles, Nigeria’s fundamentalist-fueled violence, and socioeconomic and political instability in North Africa are all inhibiting the rapid growth that this far-from-saturated region is capable of. Africa holds the highest growth potential, with an increasing number of manufacturers looking to gain a better foothold in the continent.

This follows the emergence of a group of countries that are experiencing relatively solid political stability and strong economic performance, thereby presenting vendors with real long-term strong growth potential.”

In Q2 2013, inkjet shipments in MEA declined 8.5% in volume and 4.2% in value, year on year. Inkjet vendors are increasingly being challenged by weak consumer demand and a strong preference among businesses and government entities for laser devices.

As such, they are changing their strategies by gradually withdrawing from the extreme entry-level segment (as this segment is evidently not profitable for either hardware or cartridges), increasing their focus on higher-value devices that use less expensive consumables, and targeting the business segment by promoting inkjet technology as a reliable and cost-effective solution for general office printing needs.

In contrast with the inkjet segment, laser shipments grew in Q2 2013, expanding by 9.6% in volume and 2.5% in value.

The growth of the color laser segment was twice as fast as the growth experienced in the mono laser segment. This was primarily driven by the strong performance of MFPs.

According to IDC, looking at the first half of 2013, shipments of A3 devices in the color laser segment grew strongly at 10.4% year on year, while shipments of A4 color laser devices declined 5.3% over the same period; however, the opposite is true in the mono laser segment, where A3 shipments declined 5.8% year on year and A4 shipments increased 4.1%.

Another interesting trend is that shipments of both inkjet and laser devices with no WiFi capability are declining, while shipments of WiFi-enabled inkjet and laser devices are growing.

This is particularly true in the laser segment, where shipments of WiFi-enabled laser devices more than doubled compared to the first half of 2012.

The same trend is taking place in terms of Web/Internet-enabled devices; however, IDC estimates that less than 20% of those devices are in reality actively utilizing this connectivity.

“The gradual shift to laser technology in MEA is not an exceptional trend for this region; it is actually in line with the worldwide trend,” said Roufka.

“However, in MEA, this trend is additionally fueled by the fact that demand for printing devices in the region has been driven primarily by the business and government segments (which opt mainly for laser technology), as the penetration of PCs in the home segment is low when compared to Europe, for example. This stems from the different socioeconomic challenges generally faced by home consumers across MEA, including low income levels, high unemployment, and high rates of illiteracy, particularly in Africa.”

“Another important point is that the relatively low adoption of electronic document processes and document solutions in the MEA business and government segments plays an important role in driving the continuously high requirement for and dependence on paper documents. This, in turn, drives demand for printing devices, and this is not very likely to change in the short or medium term, especially in Africa.

“Assuming the political situation will eventually stabilize across the region, the Middle East and continues to harbor significant growth potential for printer manufacturers,” added Roufka.


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

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

Published

on

Kindly share this post

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.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

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

Published

on

Kindly share this post

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.”


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Published

on

Kindly share this post

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.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending