The progress demonstrates that strategic leadership, aligned with national priorities and supported by partnerships, can translate ambition into lasting national capability.
Two years ago, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), appointed a new Executive Management Team at Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), marking a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s digital evolution. The leadership team, including Prof. Ibrahim A. Adeyanju as MD/CEO, Honourable Olusegun Olulade as Executive Director of Customer Centricity and Marketing, Muhammed Sani Ibrahim as Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services, and Olumbe Akinkugbe as Executive Director of Digital Exploration and Technical Services, has since focused on strengthening infrastructure, deepening partnerships, and advancing national digital capabilities.
From the outset, the team anchored Nigeria’s digital transformation on secure, sovereign infrastructure while improving service delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. Through the launch of the Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS) 2023–2028, GBB shifted from providing basic connectivity to leading a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates infrastructure, platforms, policy, value creation, and human capacity.
Within two years, GBB expanded national digital access significantly. Broadband connectivity was delivered to nine underserved Local Government Areas under Project 774, and Fibre-to-Hostel projects at the University of Lagos, University of Abuja, and University of Jos strengthened academic research and digital learning. Strategic national assets, including Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and key Federal Secretariats, also benefited from improved connectivity, enhancing operational efficiency and service reliability.
GBB further reinforced Nigeria’s digital backbone through a strategic partnership with the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), enhancing fibre redundancy and enabling scalable broadband expansion across more states and underserved communities. This partnership strengthened the country’s national resilience and digital infrastructure.
Sovereign digital capabilities were also enhanced. The 1Government Cloud platform was optimized to support more MDAs, GovMail was introduced to facilitate secure communication for over 100,000 federal personnel, and cybersecurity measures were strengthened with 24/7 monitoring and improved controls. Colocation services, data centre operations, the Government as a Platform (GaaP) framework, and the Government Service Portal were upgraded, and GBB achieved ISO recertification while implementing an Integrated Management System (IMS) to institutionalize governance, accountability, and operational excellence.
The Executive Management overcame challenges including fiscal constraints, legacy systems, cyber threats, and high expectations for digital services. Through disciplined financial management, strategic partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and operational reforms, GBB stabilized systems, improved service quality, and positioned itself as a trusted enabler of public sector transformation.
Support from key government figures—including the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Dr. George Akume; and the Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack—helped align national policy with operational execution, ensuring that digital initiatives delivered tangible outcomes.
Over the past two years, Galaxy Backbone has earned more than 20 awards, including the NET5.5G Pioneer Award, the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Award, the Overall Winner award at Nigeria @ 65 Independence Kitty, the BPSR Website Performance Award, and Best ICT Provider Company of the Year at the International Standard Excellence Awards. Prof. Adeyanju was also recognized among the top 100 leading personalities in Nigeria’s telecom industry, reflecting both institutional visibility and measurable transformation in governance, infrastructure, and service delivery.
Two years on, Galaxy Backbone has evolved beyond a connectivity provider to become a strategic custodian of Nigeria’s sovereign digital infrastructure. With clear vision, disciplined execution, and strong collaboration with government and partners, the organization continues to expand connectivity, strengthen cybersecurity, enhance cloud sovereignty, and build a resilient digital foundation to support Nigeria’s long-term development. The progress demonstrates that strategic leadership, aligned with national priorities and supported by partnerships, can translate ambition into lasting national capability.
