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AI-Driven Memory Chip Fuels Global Phone Price Surge
Global technology markets are entering a new phase of strain as surging memory chip prices intensify the ongoing semiconductor shortage. For Nigeria, the ripple effects could translate into a 15 – 20 per cent increase in phone price levels if supply pressures persist into the next quarter.
While attention has largely focused on advanced AI processors, the sharpest escalation is occurring in memory chips, specifically DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and NAND (Flash Memory), which are essential to smartphones, PCs, and vehicles.
According to Bloomberg data, spot prices for DRAM have surged more than 600 percent in recent months. NAND prices have also climbed as artificial intelligence infrastructure expands global storage demand.
This shift reflects a structural realignment rather than a short-term disruption.
Massive AI infrastructure investments led by hyperscalers such as Amazon have redirected fabrication capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a critical component for AI accelerators. This shift has tightened supply for conventional memory used in consumer devices.
Market analysts now describe the situation as a memory “supercycle,” breaking the industry’s traditional boom-and-bust pattern. Historically, memory cycles lasted three to four years. According to Jian Shi Cortesi of GAM Investment Management, the current cycle has already exceeded previous ones “both in length and magnitude,” with little evidence of demand momentum softening.
Financial markets reflect the divide. A Bloomberg gauge of global consumer electronics makers has fallen roughly 10 per cent since late September, while a basket of memory manufacturers has surged about 160 per cent over the same period. Shares of SK Hynix, a key high-bandwidth memory supplier to Nvidia, have climbed more than 150 per cent.
By contrast, downstream manufacturers reliant on affordable memory supplies are under pressure. Nintendo has warned of margin compression linked to shortages. Qualcomm shares declined after signaling memory constraints that could limit phone production. PC makers such as Lenovo and Dell have also retreated from recent peaks amid concerns that rising chip costs could dampen demand.
The divergence underscores a widening gap between component producers and device assemblers.
Memory is central to modern smartphone performance. Higher DRAM and NAND capacities power AI-enabled features, high-resolution imaging, and multitasking capabilities. Rising memory costs, therefore, feed directly into the bill of materials.
Even in a moderate demand environment, a constrained memory supply can limit production volumes. Qualcomm’s recent indication that memory shortages may restrict handset output highlights the risk of scarcity extending beyond price increases into availability challenges.
Compounding the issue, a foundry such as TSMC is prioritising higher-margin AI-related contracts at advanced nodes. Combined with the reallocation of capacity toward high-bandwidth memory, this limits flexibility in supplying traditional mobile processors and storage components.
For Nigeria, the likely outcome is not immediate widespread stockouts, but gradual upward revisions in retail pricing.
Nigeria’s electronics market remains heavily import-dependent, with minimal semiconductor manufacturing capacity. Retailers are therefore exposed to global cost shifts and supply volatility.
Distributors in major commercial hubs such as Lagos’ Computer Village are closely monitoring global trends. Some are securing inventory ahead of anticipated adjustments, while others are maintaining leaner procurement cycles to manage uncertainty.
Duration risk remains a key concern. Fidelity International’s Vivian Pai recently observed that while markets may be pricing in normalization within one to two quarters, industry tightness could persist through the rest of the year. If that proves accurate, manufacturers will have limited room to absorb higher component costs without passing them through to consumers.
Mid-tier smartphones, especially those balancing affordability with competitive performance, are likely to face the greatest pressure. Manufacturers may respond by offering lower base storage variants, delaying feature upgrades, or raising prices incrementally across product lines.
Parallel imports could increase if global scarcity intensifies, potentially raising concerns about warranty coverage and after-sales support.
Globally, firms are attempting to mitigate exposure by locking in long-term supply contracts, raising product prices, or redesigning devices to use less memory. However, semiconductor fabrication is capital-intensive and slow to scale. New fabrication plants require years to build, and expanding high-bandwidth memory output involves complex processes that cannot be rapidly accelerated.
For Nigeria, the episode underscores the importance of strengthening digital resilience. While domestic chip fabrication remains unlikely in the near term, expanding local device assembly, promoting repair ecosystems, and supporting component recycling could help cushion future supply shocks.
If projections hold, Nigerian buyers may begin seeing incremental price adjustments within weeks. Mid-range Android devices are likely to record the most noticeable changes, while premium models, already positioned at higher price points, may see more measured increases.
As it stands, AI’s explosive growth is reshaping semiconductor allocation patterns, and memory, once viewed as a product with prices that rise and fall in cycles, is behaving like a sustained constraint.
The widening gap between stock market winners and losers reflects the magnitude of this transition. As AI infrastructure spending accelerates globally, consumer electronics markets, including Nigeria’s, must adjust to a new cost environment.
Whether the squeeze proves temporary or evolves into a prolonged recalibration will depend on how quickly semiconductor capacity expands. For now, the trajectory suggests continued upward pressure on global electronics pricing, and Nigeria’s phone price expectations may have to adjust accordingly.
African law enforcement agencies arrested 651 suspects and recovered over $4.3 million in a joint operation targeting investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake loan applications.
As INTERPOL revealed on Wednesday, Operation Red Card 2.0 identified 1,247 victims between December 8 and January 30 while targeting cybercrime operations linked to over $45 million in financial losses.
Authorities across 16 countries also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious websites, domains, and servers during this joint action coordinated by the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC).
In Nigeria, police officers dismantled an investment fraud ring that was recruiting young people to run phishing, identity theft, and fake investment schemes, taking down over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts in the process.
They also arrested six members of a Nigerian cybercrime gang that used stolen employee credentials to breach a major telecom provider.
Kenyan investigators also apprehended 27 suspects while investigating fraud networks that used social media and messaging platforms to lure victims into fake investment schemes.
In Côte d’Ivoire, 58 suspects were arrested as part of a crackdown on predatory mobile loan apps that targeted victims with hidden fees and abusive debt-collection practices.
“These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses and entire communities with their false promises,” said Neal Jetton, the head of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate.
“Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help.”
One year ago, African law enforcement arrested another 306 suspects in the first stage of this INTERPOL-led operation targeting cross-border cybercriminal networks.
This is the latest INTERPOL operation targeting African cybercrime, with thousands of arrests and multiple multimillion-dollar operations disrupted or dismantled in recent years, following Operation Serengeti and Operation Africa Cyber Surge.
Lagos State Government has commenced the implementation of a 5% Withholding Tax (WHT) deduction on gaming winnings, in line with applicable Nigerian tax laws and regulatory directives governing the gaming industry.
The deduction applies to net winnings from licensed gaming platforms operating within Lagos State and is deducted at the point of payout. All licensed gaming operators in Lagos have been directed to comply immediately with the framework.
Under the new arrangement, 5% of qualifying gaming winnings will be automatically deducted before payment is made to players and remitted to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) as the statutory tax authority.
According to the State Government, the measure forms part of Lagos’ broader drive to strengthen tax compliance, transparency, and accountability in the rapidly expanding gaming sector.
Players are required to provide their National Identification Number (NIN) in compliance with KYC (know your customer) rules, while all deductions and remittances will be handled by licensed operators in line with regulatory requirements.
Players will receive their winnings net of the statutory deduction, with proper records maintained for transparency. The WHT deducted also serves as a tax credit to the player.
All licensed gaming operators in Lagos State have now been formally directed to commence the deductions with immediate effect.
Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday adjourned the $150 million dollars suit filed by Chianugo Peter, a Nigerian, against Google LLC and GoDaddy.com LLC over shutdown of his YouTubeAudio.com domain name until April 22 for hearing.
The case, which was before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, could not proceed due to the absence of the judge in today’s proceedings.
Although Emmanuel Ekpenyong, Peter’s lawyer, and Mark Mordi, who is counsel to Google LLC, were in court, Justice Egwuatu was said to be in another official assignment.
The matter was consequently fixed for April 22 for hearing.
Peter had filed the suit over allegations bordering on the shutdown of his YouTubeAudio.com domain name after eight years of promotional and marketing efforts in breach of the contract.
Peter, through his lawyer, named GoDaddy.Com LLC and Google LLC as the 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit filed on April 14, 2023 and marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/238/2023.
In his earlier originating summons filed by Ekpenyong of the law firm of Fred-Young & Evans LP, the Nigerian sought a $150 million in compensation from Google LLC and GoDaddy.com LLC for the alleged cyberspace contract breach.
The plaintiff alleged that the defendants shut down his domain and business name: YouTubeAudio.com and transferred the rights over the name to Google LLC, an American multinational technology company.
Google LLC, in its initial statement of defence dated Nov. 9, 2023, and filed Nov. 10, 2023, by its lawyer, Mr Mordi, SAN, of the law firm of Aluko & Oyebode, urged the court to dismiss Peter’s suit as being unmeritorious and lacking in merits.
Justice Egwuatu had, in April 2024, gave Chianugo Peter the go-ahead to amend his originating processes after his lawyer moved the application for same and it was not opposed by the defence counsel.
In his amended statement of claim dated April 29, 2024, Peter sought ten reliefs.
He sought a declaration that GoDaddy.com was wrong to shut down the YouTubeAudio.com domain name on Dec. 7, 2022 and that Google was wrong to remove “YTAudio” with its website youtubeaudio.com from its Google PlayStore on Dec. 25, 2023 without adequate compensation to him.
He said this is notwithstanding that YouTubeAudio.com domain and business name is different and distinct from YouTube trademarks.
Chianugo Peter wants the court to declare that he is entitled to compensation from the defendants for the loss of the YouTubeAudio.com brand and goodwill which has accrued on the brand and domain name for eight years of promotional and marketing works from July 2, 2015 to Dec. 7, 2022.
He sought an order directing the defendants to pay the sum of $50 million to him for promotional and marketing works on the YouTube Audio business name and YouTube Audio.com domain name for eight years from July 2, 2015 to Dec. 7, 2022.
He sought a $100 million in damages for loss of anticipated profits associated with the brand equity and goodwill of YouTube Audio and YouTube Audio.com domain name.
Peter also sought from the defendants, the sum of 50 million naira to enable him to carry out fresh registrations of its new name and secure an alternative domain name to host its application to attract users.
The Nigerian sought an order directing the defendants to pay the sum of 10 million naira to him for prosecution of the suit.
Alternatively, Peter prayed the court for an order for GoDaddy.com to reinstate and hoist the YouTubeAudio.com domain name which was shut down on Dec. 7, 2022 and for Goggle to also reinstate YouTubeAudio.com on its Google PlayStore platform which was unilaterally removed on Dec. 25, 2023.
Chianugo Peter submitted that he acquired rights over YouTubeAudio.com domain name from Go Daddy.com LLC who conducted a search before confirming that he could make use of the name.
The plaintiff averred that he promoted the domain and business name from 2014 to 2022 and even wrote to Google to introduce YouTubeAudio’s services and to partner with it in 2014 and 2021 but received no response from it on both occasions.
He said in February 2021, he applied for and YouTubeAudio.com was registered on Google Adsense platform for displaying advertisement on the website.
Besides, Peter said in August 2021, the domain and business name was registered on Google Playstore.
According to him, the plaintiff consistently paid GoDaddy.com LLC for registration and use of the domain name from 2015 to 2022.
But Google LLC, in its amended statement of defence and counterclaim dated and filed May 31, 2024, averred that its registration of the YOUTUBE trademarks at the Trademarks Registry gives it the exclusive night to the use of the said trademarks.
It submitted that it has incurred expenses in the sum of 24,040 64 dollars in dealing with Peter’s “deliberate infringement of the counterclaimant’s YOUTUBE trademarks.”
The company, therefore, sought a declaration that Peter’s registration and use of the YouTubeAudio business name with BN 2395035 at the CAC is an infringement of its YOUTUBE registered trademarks.
It prayed the court for an order directing Peter to pay the company the total sum of $24,040.64 being the expenses incurred in dealing with his infringement of the YOUTUBE registered trademarks.
It equally sought an order directing the plaintiff to pay the company the cost of defending the suit.
In his amended reply to Google’s amended statement of defence dated 12th July 2024, Peter responded that it is not in doubt that Google LLC owns YouTube trademarks, however, YouTubeAudio is distinct and different from YouTube trademarks.
Chianugo Peter submitted that Google LLC, being a foremost search engine in the world, knew that he had earlier written to it, that he was making use of the YouTubeAudio domain name for the past eight years without any objection or caveat by either GoDaddy.com or Google.
“Hence, Google LLC is estopped from claiming any right over the YouTubeAudio domain name,” he said.
GoDaddy.com LLC had neither filed any process nor represented in court.
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