E-Business
MEA x86 Server Market Enjoys Strong Growth in Q3 2013

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) x86 server market played host to significant year-on-year growth in the third quarter of 2013, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC).
Referencing its latest ‘EMEA Quarterly Server Tracker’, the research and advisory firm today announced that the MEA x86 server market expanded 9.9% in volume during Q3 2013, with revenue rising 10.6% over the same period.
The Saudi market was the standout performer of the quarter in the GCC, registering strong year-on-year volume growth of 16.4%.
“Several major deals were completed with various government ministries, banks, and education institutes during the quarter, combining to drive the strong growth seen in Q3,” says Zeeshan Gaya, research manager for servers and systems at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
“The UAE market also exhibited strong year-on-year growth, with shipments increasing 13.0% on the back of key projects taking place in the government and banking sectors.”
In contrast the so-called ‘Other GCC’ (OGCC) bloc of countries, comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, suffered a marginal 1.8% decline in volume over the same period, although there was a significant year-on-year increase of 22.6% in revenue.
The growth in revenue came as a direct consequence of the average selling price of a server increasing 24.8% compared to Q3 2012.
As expected, the Egyptian market slumped 36.6% year on year in volume terms as a result of severe project delays and cancellations brought about by the ongoing political instability in the country and associated uncertainty.
Indeed, the only noticeable projects seen in Egypt during Q3 2013 were for the Egyptian Stock Exchange and within the defense sector.
Turkey also experienced a downward trend in the third quarter of the year, with unit shipments dipping 8.8% year on year.
The government, banking, and telecommunications sectors were the key IT spenders in the country during this period.
“The Turkish government is proactively taking necessary measures to increase the economic and political resilience of the country,” sa
idAdriana Rangel, research director for systems and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
“It is also striving to improve the investment environment in an attempt to facilitate and stimulate continuous economic growth. Additionally, local elections scheduled for mid-2014 are expected to have a positive impact on IT spending in the country.”
Strong year-on-year shipment growth of 35.7% and 21.8% was recorded in Morocco and Tunisia, respectively, stimulated by the stable nature of the political situation in these countries and corresponding investments in the government, banking, and telecommunications sectors. Overall, the North Africa region performed well in Q3 2013, registering a 20.4% increase in volume when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2012.
The Kenyan and Nigerian markets secured the highest growth seen across the entire MEA region in Q3 2013, registering an annual shipment growth of 67.1% and 62.8%, respectively.
“Sizeable projects conducted by financial institutions and telecom operators contributed to the strong server growth seen in Nigeria, while the majority of large deals conducted in Kenya during the third quarter of the year were in the banking and utilities sectors, with the government sector taking a back seat,” said Gaya.
South Africa experienced a 6.6% year-on-year increase in server shipments, driven primarily by investments in the government and financial services sectors. “Server uptake in the small and medium-sized business (SMB) space was sluggish in South Africa during Q3 2013, with the majority of spending coming from the enterprise segment,” continued
Gaya. “The purchasing pattern among mid-to-large organizations has been gradually shifting from standalone servers to converged and integrated solutions. However, some large government deals are in the pipeline for Q4, with a particular emphasis on egovernment initiatives such as smart energy management solutions and smart city programs.”
Growth was seen across all the major form factors in the MEA region during Q3 2013.
Blades were the market’s strongest performers, with shipments up 27.5% year on year, followed by rack-optimized and tower servers, with increases of 8.7% and 3.2%, respectively. Bucking the trend somewhat, shipments of density-optimized servers were down 22.9% year on year across the MEA region.
Shipments of one-socket servers grew an impressive 24.8% over Q3 2012, securing market share of 30.4%, up 3.6 percentage points higher than last year.
Two-socket servers remain the dominant socket capability, however, comprising more than half of the MEA market with 65.1% unit share. Four- and eight- socket servers continued to grow in the third quarter of the year, recording year-on-year volume increases of 24.3% and 47.4%, respectively.
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E-Business
NITDA Ignites a Revolution for Gender Inclusion in Nigeria’s AI and Digital Economy

In a powerful stride towards an inclusive digital future, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is spearheading a transformative drive to empower Nigerian women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital economy.
This commitment was resoundingly reiterated by NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, at the “Innovate Her 25” conference, the 10th National Conference and 11th Annual Meeting of Nigerian Women in Information Technology.
Speaking at the event themed “Women in AI: Unlocking Resilience, Fostering Innovation and Leadership,” Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, emphasised that true innovation blossoms not in isolation, but through synergistic partnerships and collective endeavor – principles deeply embedded in NITDA’s operational ethos.
Highlighting Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, Inuwa added that inclusivity is embedded as a core objective: “Our strategic roadmap mandates that at least 40% of our programmes directly benefit women and underserved groups. We have also developed a Gender Inclusion Strategy to guide interventions in areas such as training and infrastructure,” he explained.
Further underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in the digital space, Inuwa excitingly announced that in September 2025, NITDA will proudly host a Leadership Summit on AI. This landmark event will convene stakeholders from across the African continent, fostering a collaborative environment to forge a unified AI vision for Africa.
In alignment with the conference’s focus on empowering women in technology, the DG detailed NITDA’s diverse capacity-building initiatives spanning AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. “We work with partners such as the Renew Hope Initiative to train thousands of women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,” he revealed, highlighting the agency’s broad reach.
NITDA stands ready to collaborate with organisations like the Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIT), actively encouraging proposals for bespoke programmes that cater to specific community needs. “We focus on targeted training with measurable outcomes, rather than generic approaches,” Inuwa affirmed, emphasising a results-oriented methodology.
He further spotlighted NITDA’s “Digital Literacy for All Initiative,” which seeks to equip 70% of Nigerians with digital literacy by 2027. Through strategic partnerships with the NYSC and the integration of digital literacy into national school curricula, the agency plans to train over 30 million Nigerians — with a dedicated focus on underserved communities and public servants.
Addressing critical concerns surrounding ethical AI, Inuwa emphasised the importance of developing indigenous datasets and large language models reflective of Nigeria’s unique realities: “We are working closely with stakeholders to build local datasets that safeguard Nigerians’ digital rights and ensure ethical AI use,” he assured.
NITDA is also championing mentorship for women in technology through impactful initiatives such as Women Innovate. The agency warmly welcomes collaboration with NIWIT to design structured mentorship programmes and is open to formalising such partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
“NITDA is committed to fostering inclusive economic growth through innovation. Partnership and collaboration remain the way forward,” Inuwa declared.
The session concluded with a resounding call to action, urging women-focused organisations to leverage NITDA’s open-door policy and unite in advancing digital inclusion across Nigeria. The future of Nigeria’s digital economy is inclusive, and women are at its forefront.
E-Business
Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.

Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon wrote in an email to employees.
He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.
According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.
Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.
However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.
“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.
“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.
The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.
Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.
The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.
E-Business
BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.
He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.
“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.
Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.
He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.
“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.
He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.
According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.
He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.
Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.
He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.
Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.
Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.
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