Minister Launches Broadband Service, Galaxy Backbone North-east Office

Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, has officially launched the government-owned Broadband services, the Galaxy Backbone North East Zonal and Marketing Office in Gombe.

Galaxy Backbone, an Information and Communications Technology Service provider, wholly owned by the Nigerian Government, is aimed at providing digital infrastructure that will provide a robust and reliable digital economy.

The Gombe office is meant to serve the entire six states in the zone with connectivity, cloud, cyber security, training and other ICT- based corporate services to both public and private businesses, through an interface with its infrastructure directly linked to Abuja and Kano.

Professor Pantami said, “Gombe was chosen to house the Galaxy Backbone North East and Marketing Office, because of its strategic location in the centre of the states in North East and also because of its relative peace.”

He said Galaxy Backbone had recorded a lot of successes from 2020 to now, despite the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic that year, especially the introduction of virtual meetings, which made it possible for government policies to continue during the lockdown.

The Minister said; “the first memorandum to be presented during virtual meetings was related to health, Covid-19 Vaccines, facilities in ICU, Intensive care Unit and many more, 20 memos with regards to interventions, with regards to government support through N-Power and the rest. Galaxy deployed the facilities at the State House, and Galaxy also deployed the facilities at the Office of the President of Nigeria.”

Professor Pantami announced that Gombe State was among 20 markets to enjoy free and unlimited internet services, saying Gombe New Market has already been connected to free and unlimited internet, likewise the Gombe State University.

He said; “Each project, either for the university or for the market is around 400 to 500 million Naira. At the federal Teaching Hospital, we have an ongoing project of Digital Economy Pack. Four are being constructed. One in Gombe, the other one in the North-west in Katsina and we have another one in the South-west and the last one in the South-east.” 

He said provisions had been made in the 2023 Budget for the remaining zones in Nigeria, the South-South and North Central for them to get their own zonal and marketing offices.

In all, professor Pantami said; “over 90 projects had been completed in Gombe State.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Professor Muhammadu Abubakar, said the operations were being guided by global best standards to guarantee the safety of data, retain the confidence of its clients and national security.

Professor Abubakar said the Gombe Zonal and Marketing Office would also serve as a strategic and significantly important resource to stakeholder organizations in both the public and the private sectors.

According to him,  the organisation is devoted to serving the greater needs of the Nigerian public and private businesses by providing services that are efficient, safe, reliant, cost-effective and dependable at all times.

He said; “Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has emerged as a fully indigenous Nigerian government-owned company. This means that every Nigerian is an owner and a stakeholder in the enterprise.”

Professor Abubakar called on the North-east State Governments as well as the public and private sector operators to take advantage of the services.

Mercy Chukwudiebere