The management and staff of Galaxy Backbone Limited were recently thrown into excitement when the agency joined sister agencies to host the newly inaugurated Minister of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani in Abuja.
Galaxy Backbone Limited Chief Executive, Professor Muhammad Bello Abubakar and the other Heads of Agencies and Directors from the Ministry during the meeting expressed their suppport as the Minister, who is noted for his expertise in the industry settles down to strengthen the implementation of the Digital Economy policy in line with President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda.
The GBB boss who gave remarks on behalf of other heads of agencies, noted that the Ministry has the right leadership with the Minister having created a track record with his experience and expertise which will add value to the Nigerian economy and boost the sector especially in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that has added more to the nation’s GDP.
Prof Abubakar said the Ministry looks forward to the Minister’s inspiring leadership and expressed more commitment in working with him to towards enhancing smart digital application and systems in the country.
After a brief ceremony the Honourable Minister was taken on a tour of Galaxy Backbone Limited Corporate Headquarters, by Professor Abubakar. The Minister visited GBB’s Tier III Data Centre, Security Operations Centre, Network Management and Operations Centre and other ICT facilities within the building.
He also took some time to interact with Management and Staff of the organisation even as he assured them of technical and other forms of support to move the Ministry to the desired heights especially to strengthen Nigeria’s leading role in the digital economy in Africa.
Recall that Nigeria has made a commitment to boost Africa’s capacity for a single digital market within the framework Smart Africa Alliance and the GBB has been at the forefront of this ambitious move for digital transformation of Nigeria and Africa since it was established in 2006 by the Federal Government to pursue a coordinated and harmonized approach to information and communications technology acquisition, operation and use in the public sector.
GBB has been one of the major pillars of Nigeria’s digital sector and it has been a reference point where other African countries visit as the bastion of digital skills, high-tech information, sophisticated facilities and the hub of expertise on digital innovation.
The Minister who obviously was facinated by the facilities of the GBB in Abuja, identified with the prowess of the GBB in policy initiatives and the drive to transform the nation and the continent into a single digital market in line with Nigeria‘s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy(NDEPS 2020-2030).
The GBB boss has always buttressed that much efforts are being put in place before now in terms of policies for NDEPS 2020-2030 and many other policies that have been developed that will guide the digital transformation of and Africa.
Nigeria is reputed as the digital hub of Africa especially on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which has contributed immensely to the GDP of the country, making it the investment hub of the continent.
While hosting a delegation from Zambia recently the GBB boss, said “Nigeria is the leading economy in Africa and in terms of digitalisation it is also a leading country in the whole of Africa, and out of seven Unicorns that we have in Africa five of them had their roots in Nigeria. This is enough to tell you the direction that we are going and we have the talent and what needs to be done so that we keep Africa together while we also lead it to the Promised Land in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The GBB has also been at the forefront for job creation for the teaming Nigerian youth through digital innovation. Recently, the GBB and Microsoft collaborated to train the youth on capacity building and skill acquisition.
The National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) of the GBB, which was recently commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari hosts a cyber security operations centre, network centre and a call centre. It is the platform for digital connectivity for Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) to interface with the citizens.
GBB was at the centre among the agencies that boosted the ICT and improved the country’s GDP, which according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) contributed an unprecedented 18.44 per cent to the GDP, in the Q2 of 2022 close to three times the 6.33 per cent contribution of the oil sector in the same quarter.
The GBB has also made enormous efforts in broadband/Internet penetration, skills acquisition for global competitiveness and infrastructure development, like the fibre optic cable, which was about 15,000kms in 2015 and increased to more than 60,000kms.
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