In a strategic move to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, paid a working visit to Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited, Nigeria’s leading provider of ICT infrastructure and shared services. The visit, held at GBB’s National Shared Services Centre and Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, aimed to deepen collaboration and assess the readiness of digital infrastructure supporting ongoing reforms across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
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Mrs. Walson-Jack were accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olarinre, along with other Permanent Secretaries and Directors from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service. The delegation toured GBB’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its Network Operations Centre (NOC), Security Operations Centre (SOC), and Uptime Institute Certified Tier III Data Centre each playing a key role in securing and scaling Nigeria’s public sector digital operations.
In his remarks, Mr. Olarinre underscored the critical role of Galaxy Backbone in supporting the Federal Government’s vision for a digital-first public sector. “This visit is an opportunity to showcase the impressive progress GBB has made in establishing the infrastructure for a truly digital government,” he said.
“We look forward to enhanced collaboration between GBB and MDAs for a more connected and efficient service delivery.”
Welcoming the delegation, the Managing Director/CEO of GBB, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, highlighted the strategic alignment between GBB’s mandate and the government’s digitalisation goals. “The presence of the Head of Service here today is symbolic and significant. It underscores the importance of ICT infrastructure in effective governance,” he noted. Professor Adeyanju emphasized GBB’s mission to design, build, and manage Nigeria’s core digital infrastructure, including the Government Cloud, GovMail, and a fibre optic network that spans 28 states.
He called for stronger collaboration with the Office of the Head of Service to drive adoption of these platforms, especially in leveraging the fibre infrastructure already terminated at Federal Secretariat buildings nationwide. He also sought support in expanding Local Area Networks (LANs) within the Federal Capital Territory to onboard more MDAs into the digital ecosystem.
In her response, Mrs. Walson-Jack expressed admiration for GBB’s world-class infrastructure and cutting-edge digital solutions. “This visit has opened my eyes to the immense potential of Galaxy Backbone. I now view GBB not just as an ICT agency, but as a strategic partner in our mission to build a modern, agile, and paperless civil service,” she said.
She specifically commended GBB’s support for the “War Room” initiative, the deployment of GovMail currently serving over 34,000 civil servants and the high-speed connectivity provided during the 2025 International Civil Service Week. Reaffirming her office’s target of achieving a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025, the Head of Service voiced confidence in reaching this milestone with GBB’s continued support.
Mrs. Walson-Jack also outlined key areas for future collaboration, including full implementation of the Government Cloud, adoption of an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), capacity building through the synergy of the 1Government Cloud Academy and Civil Service Academy, and training on Service-Wise GPT, Nigeria’s AI-powered public service platform.
Concluding the visit, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Sani, Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services at GBB, expressed deep appreciation to the Head of Service and her team. He reiterated the agency’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to deliver inclusive, secure, and forward-thinking digital solutions in support of national development.