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Nigerians Groan as Corporates, Educational Institutions Suffer Global Computer Scarcity

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After enjoying a run of uninterrupted supply of personal computers (PCs), laptops and other digital devices for nearly a quarter of a century, the world is currently in the middle of a major supply chain crisis that has seen global manufacturers struggle to meet growing demand.

The situation is exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, a global health challenge that began in late 2019, spreading from Wuhan, China where it originated to virtually all corners of the globe.

With the onset of the pandemic, supply of laptops, PCs and other hardware components had taken a huge bashing.

 

Global data released two weeks ago shows that most major global computer OEMs are unable to supply five per cent of orders placed and paid for by distributors and this has skyrocketed retail prices of PCs and laptops.

In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, consumers are paying higher prices to secure few available units in the market. It is speculated that things may not improve until mid-next year.

This is hardly surprising as China, the original epicenter of the pandemic, had for a while now, become the world’s leading manufacturing hub.

Consequently, the lockdowns occasioned by the pandemic had seen a breakdown of China-based global computer supply chains, delaying the arrival of computers and laptops in shops across the world.

Earlier in 2020, specifically in March, a report in the Financial Times indicated that retailers were told that it is taking up to three times as long for PCs and parts to be delivered.

Industry experts said that only those brands able to pay upfront and work closely with component suppliers, such as Apple and Samsung, would be able to secure enough production capacity, as shortages rippled through the supply chain.

“One channel partner in Australia was notified by key manufacturers that shipments can take up to 14 weeks, as opposed to the normal four weeks,” said Sharon Hiu, an analyst covering sales and distribution channels in Asia-Pacific at Canalys, the technology research firm.

“Some channel companies have been given a 10-week estimate, while others have not been able to get a projected time of arrival at all.”

Indeed, no major OEM was left out.

Research showed that shipment times for Dell computers to Australia were extended from the usual three to five weeks to 10 weeks.

Notebooks and desktop computers of HP’s Elite series had run out of stock in some shops.

In Nigeria, Zinox, a local computer manufacturer and one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s major players, was experiencing delays of up to nine weeks in taking delivery of essential hardware and other components.

With the gradual lifting of the lockdowns in many parts of the world around May, many heaved a sigh of relief as factories began reopening in China and other countries.

However, supply chain experts had warned back then that the effects of the shutdown will linger because the disruption had resulted in shortages of components which only gradually become visible.

Currently, that prognosis is proving to be true.

In addition to fears of a predicted second wave of COVID-19, many global manufacturers are battling to meet five per cent of demands for PCs and laptops.

The foregoing has seen estimates for PC shipments this year revised to reflect the current state of scarcity.

Tech experts expect global PC shipments this year to drop by over 34 per cent in a best-case scenario and 45 per cent in a worst-case scenario.

Why is the global demand for PCs and laptops overshooting supply so much even in the tail-end of 2020?

The reason is hardly far-fetched. Apart from the lingering disruption of supply chains occasioned by the lockdowns, the world has also seen a rise in the adoption of virtual learning or at-home schooling by educational institutions.

Also, many corporate organizations have also embraced virtual work or meetings, encouraging more staff and business partners to leverage tech tools to navigate the current health challenge.

The foregoing scenarios have seen demands for PCs and laptops sky-rocket across the globe.

Further, it has pushed the personal-computer market to its strongest demand growth in more than a decade, according to third-party analyses released by Gartner and IDC in late October.

However, OEMS are unable to mop up the demand which is expected to see scarcity carry on into the latter part of 2021.

“Consumer demand and institutional demand approached record levels in some cases,” disclosed Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager for IDC. “Gaming, Chromebooks, and in some cases cellular-enabled notebooks were all bright spots during the quarter.”

The report also pointed to a paucity of supplies to continue feeding the increased demand for PCs, with panels and processors mentioned as especially in demand.

“The PC industry rode into the third quarter with a sizeable backlog of unfulfilled orders.

“And it appears the quarter will end under the same auspices,” Linn Huang of IDC said in a statement.

“Given that the shortages have been due more to a shortfall of business planning than a technical glitch, we do not anticipate a sudden surge in capacity. Consequently, this backlog will likely carry into 2021.”

Both companies reported that Lenovo Group Ltd. 992, +0.74% had the strongest market share among PC manufacturers in the quarter, topping HP Inc. HPQ, +0.62%, but the Chromebook discrepancy showed up in those numbers as well.

Gartner credited Lenovo with 25.7% of the market and HP 21.6%, but HP’s Chromebook sales made the race much tighter — 23.7% to 23% — in IDC’s results.

Both companies had Dell Technologies Inc. DELL, +0.12% third in the market-share rankings, followed by Apple Inc. AAPL, -0.11% and Acer Inc.

In Nigeria, Africa’s biggest market, many corporates and educational institutions are technically in trouble as the scarcity is taking a huge toll on their budget.

As one technology enthusiast said in a virtual conference last week, “in the 21st century, when you wake up late, you definitely shall pay the price for lateness.’’

However, it remains to be seen how the world will cope in the face of a supply challenge that experts predict will last till June 2021.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. 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

Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend

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Transcorp Hotels Plc has delivered a stellar performance in the first half of 2025, recording a 60% year-on-year surge in revenue to ₦47.57 billion, up from ₦29.72 billion in H1 2024. Gross profit climbed 71% to ₦36.21 billion, maintaining a strong 76% margin despite inflation and operational headwinds.

The hospitality giant, a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, also announced an interim dividend payout of ₦1.024 billion — offering ₦0.10 per 50 kobo ordinary share to shareholders.

In a bold move, the company unveiled Nigeria’s largest corporate venue — the 5,000-seat Transcorp Centre — staking its claim as the new leader in event hospitality. Chairman Emmanuel Nnorom described the results as proof of Transcorp Hotels’ transformative strategies and unwavering investor commitment. MD/CEO Uzo Oshogwe attributed the success to relentless execution and a resilient business model.

Transcorp Hotels, renowned for iconic assets like Transcorp Hilton Abuja and its digital platform Aura, says it isn’t just leading Nigeria’s hospitality sector — it’s redefining excellence across Africa.


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Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

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Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.

Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

 

China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.

The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.

“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.

It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.

Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.

Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.

A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.

“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.

Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.

Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.

It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.

Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.

 

 

 


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NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.

NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.

NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”

The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.


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