In a major endorsement of Nigeria’s ongoing digitalisation reforms, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), has described Galaxy Backbone (GBB) as a strategic partner in the drive to modernise and digitalise the civil service.
This recognition came during a high-level working visit by the HCSF to Galaxy Backbone’s National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) and Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration and evaluating the capacity of Nigeria’s core digital infrastructure in supporting the Federal Government’s public sector transformation agenda.
Mrs. Walson-Jack was accompanied by Mr. Adeladan Rafi’u Olarinre, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), alongside other Permanent Secretaries and senior officials from the Office of the Head of Service.
During the tour, the delegation was shown GBB’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its Network Operations Centre (NOC), Security Operations Centre (SOC), and a Tier III Uptime Institute-certified Data Centre, each playing a key role in ensuring secure, scalable, and sovereign ICT infrastructure for Nigeria’s public institutions.
GBB Positioned as Backbone of Digital Governance
Speaking at the visit, Mr. Olarinre praised Galaxy Backbone as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital government vision.
“Today’s engagement demonstrates the important strides GBB has taken in establishing the infrastructure necessary for a digital-first public service,” he said. “It’s a chance to align MDAs with GBB’s platforms and deepen inter-agency collaboration.”
In his remarks, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, thanked the Head of Service for the symbolic visit, describing it as a validation of GBB’s mandate.
“This visit reaffirms the centrality of the civil service in our national transformation,” he said. “Our infrastructure, such as the 1Government Cloud, GovMail, and our fibre optic footprint across 28 states, is built to support an agile, secure, and digitally connected government.”
Prof. Adeyanju also highlighted the need for stronger cooperation with the Office of the Head of Service to promote adoption of GBB’s infrastructure across MDAs—especially leveraging existing fibre links in Federal Secretariat complexes and expanding Local Area Networks (LANs) within the FCT.
Civil Service Transformation: “From Paper to Digital”
Following a guided tour of GBB’s facilities, Mrs. Walson-Jack expressed deep admiration for the agency’s capabilities, describing her visit as an eye-opener.
“Galaxy Backbone is not just an ICT provider,” she said. “It is a strategic partner in our mission to build a modern, agile, and paperless civil service.”
She commended GBB’s role in critical projects, including:
- Support for the War Room
- Provision of high-speed fibre connectivity during the 2025 International Civil Service Week.
- Deployment of GovMail, now used by over 34,000 civil servants.
Reiterating her office’s commitment to achieving a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025, Mrs. Walson-Jack outlined key areas of collaboration with GBB:
- Full-scale deployment of the 1Government Cloud to host MDA operations.
- Adoption of an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to streamline records and workflow automation.
- Synergy between 1Government Cloud Academy and the Civil Service Academy for capacity building.
- Training on tools like Service-Wise GPT, Nigeria’s AI-driven solution for improving public service delivery.
Commitment to a Digitally Empowered Government
In a vote of thanks, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Sani, executive director of Finance and Corporate Services at GBB, expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with the civil service.
“We are honoured by this visit and even more inspired to deliver inclusive, resilient, and future-proof digital solutions for the Federal Government,” he said.
The visit marks a renewed momentum in aligning Galaxy Backbone’s digital infrastructure with the Federal Government’s public sector reform goals, underscoring the importance of technology as a foundation for transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric governance.
