Two years ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed a new Executive Management Team at Galaxy Backbone Limited, marking a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s digital evolution. Today, the organisation celebrates the second anniversary of the appointment of four distinguished leaders:
Prof. Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer
Honourable Olusegun Olulade, Executive Director Customer Centricity and Marketing
Muhammed Sani Ibrahim, Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services
Olumbe Akinkugbe, Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services
The Executive team’s mandate was to anchor Nigeria’s digital transformation on secure, sovereign infrastructure while improving service delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). They immediately aligned execution with strategy through the launch of the Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS 2023–2028), shifting focus from simple connectivity provision to leading a digital ecosystem integrating infrastructure, platforms, policy alignment, value creation, and human capital.
Within two years, Galaxy Backbone expanded national digital access. Broadband connectivity reached nine underserved Local Government Areas under Project 774, extending inclusion to previously unconnected communities. Fibre-to-Hostel projects at the University of Lagos, University of Abuja, and University of Jos strengthened academic research and digital learning environments. Connectivity to strategic assets, including Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and key Federal Secretariats, was enhanced to improve operational efficiency.
A major milestone was Galaxy Backbone’s strategic partnership with West Indian Ocean Cable Company, reinforcing Nigeria’s national fibre backbone, improving redundancy, and enabling scalable broadband expansion across more states and underserved communities.
Sovereign digital capabilities were also advanced. The 1Government Cloud platform was optimized to support more MDAs with secure hosting and shared services. GovMail, a locally developed email solution for Federal Government staff, now supports over 100,000 users, strengthening trusted government communication. Cybersecurity posture was reinforced with 24/7 monitoring, colocation services and data centre operations were upgraded, and the Service Desk now operates round-the-clock. Implementation of the Government as a Platform (GaaP) framework, improvements to the Government Service Portal, ISO recertifications, and an Integrated Management System institutionalized governance and operational excellence.
Despite fiscal constraints, legacy systems, increasing cyber threats, and rising expectations for digital public services, the Executive Management stabilized systems, improved service quality, and positioned Galaxy Backbone as a trusted enabler of public sector transformation.
Support from 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 of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack, among others, aligned policy direction with execution momentum.
Over the past two years, Galaxy Backbone earned over 20 recognitions, including the NET5.5G Pioneer Award, inaugural Artificial Intelligence Award, Overall Winner at Nigeria @ 65 Independence Kitty, BPSR Website Performance Award, and Best ICT Provider Company of the Year at the International Standard Excellence Awards. Prof. Adeyanju was also named one of the top 100 leading personalities in Nigeria’s telecoms industry.
Two years on, Galaxy Backbone stands as a strategic custodian of Nigeria’s sovereign digital backbone. The organisation continues to deepen connectivity, strengthen cybersecurity, expand cloud sovereignty, and build a resilient digital foundation for national development.
