The announcement comes as a technical rebuttal to concerns regarding the maturity of Nigeria’s internal digital infrastructure. GBB reiterated that the platform is a robust, sovereign environment designed to move the civil service away from fragmented, external email services and paper-based correspondence.

From 100k to 150k: Accelerating the Paperless Mandate

The drive for a digital civil service received a significant boost in late 2025 when Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the head of the Civil Service of the Federation, announced the creation of 100,000 accounts.

In just a few months, that figure has jumped by 50%, reflecting an aggressive onboarding strategy.

Key Features of the GOVMAIL Infrastructure:

• Sovereign Hosting: All data is hosted on secure local infrastructure within Nigeria, ensuring data residency compliance.
• Tier-Grade Reliability: Powered by GBB’s National Tier III and Tier IV Data Centres.
• Security Oversight: Monitored via a dedicated Security Operations Centre (SOC) and Network Operations Centre (NOC) to prevent leaks and cyberattacks.

Closing the Gmail Gap in Public Service

For years, the use of private email providers like Gmail and Yahoo for official government business has raised red flags regarding national security and data protection.

GBB’s Identity Management” system under GOVMAIL aims to provide a verifiable audit trail for every official communication.

According to Chidi Okpala, head of Corporate Communications at GBB, the agency is now working with MDAs to close existing gaps.

The goal is to ensure that every single government worker has a professional, secure, and auditable digital identity.

“These coordinated efforts reflect the shared objective of equipping public servants with the digital tools necessary for responsive, efficient, and secure inter-agency communication,” Okpala stated.

Techeconomy observed that the migration to GOVMAIL is more than just a tech upgrade; it is a fiscal and security play.

By moving 150,000 workers onto a centralized local platform, the Federal Government is reducing the cost of paper bureaucracy and mitigating the risk of foreign intelligence intercepts on private mail servers.

For GOVMAIL to truly modernize the civil service, GBB must ensure 99.9% uptime and a user experience that rivals the global giants (Google and Microsoft) that civil servants are accustomed to using.

These include, Govmail, ServiceWise GPT and the Federal Civil Service Online Portal. These platforms, underscore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to enhancing digital governance and driving innovation across the nation’s Federal Civil Service.

Govmail, an email platform developed and powered by Galaxy Backbone (GBB) is an innovative solution set to enhance communication, boost efficiency, and accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation journey within the public sector.

Speaking at a meeting where the Govmail Interface was first officially presented and demonstrated to her, the Head of Civil Service expressed her excitement about the platform, stating, “GBB’s Govmail is unbelievably WOW! This is a game-changer for our nation’s civil service, streamlining communication and creating a secure path to other government digital services. With Govmail, we are truly embracing the future of digital governance.”

Govmail is a secure, Nigeria-centric email platform designed by a team from Galaxy Backbone, exclusively for public service professionals.

It ensures that all official communication are seamlessly managed while safeguarding Nigeria’s data sovereignty.

The initiative emerged as a key outcome of the Digitalisation War Room, established by Mrs. Walson- Jack, to drive the implementation of cutting-edge digital solutions in government.

Commenting on this milestone, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, the managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, shared,

“We are immensely proud to have developed this revolutionary platform, ensuring that every Nigerian civil servant has access to a robust and secure communication channel. Govmail is not just about email—it’s about enabling productivity, efficiency, and sovereignty in governance. Galaxy Backbone remains committed to driving the digital transformation of Nigeria’s public sector.”

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo emphasized the strategic importance of the Govmail for the nation’s Civil Service stating that “Govmail significantly reduces the government’s reliance on foreign email platforms, cutting costs and addressing licensing challenges. This is a commendable achievement by the Head of Service and the leadership of Galaxy Backbone.”

Through GBB’s dedicated efforts, Govmail will rapidly roll out email accounts to over 70,000 Federal civil servants across Nigeria, ensuring every government professional is equipped with a secure communication platform in record time.

This initiative aligns with Nigeria’s goal of leveraging technology to build a digitally driven and globally competitive public service.