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Microsoft Warned Nigerian Companies of Dangers of Non-compliance with EU GDPR

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Microsoft has advised businesses in Nigeria to pay attention to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Mr John Edokpolor, Lead Commercial Attorney, Microsoft MEA Emerging Markets, said in Lagos that May 25 would be the deadline for compliance with the regulation.

Edokpolor spoke at a media briefing over the weekend.

In the GDPR (EU) 2016/679) the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union.

The regulation will take effect from May 25. It replaces the Data Protection Directive which has been in effect since 1995.

The new regulation became a law in April 2016, but given the significant changes some organisation will need to make to align with the regulation, a two-year transition period was included.

According to Edokpolor, failure to adhere to GDPR requirements can prevent trade and other dealings with EU businesses after the deadline.

““The new legislation is a milestone on a journey into a new era, where data is the fuel powering companies of all shapes and sizes, from all sectors.

“”GDPR is a new European law designed to protect the privacy of citizens by setting new standards in terms of how personal data is handled.

“”As the law affects any organisation with ties to Europe, it is relevant to businesses around the world,” he said.

Edokpolor said that as companies increasingly embraced the cloud, they had an unprecedented ability to capture and store massive amounts of data.

He said that advancement in business intelligence technology had given organisations the ability to pull insights from data predictive  in nature.

“He advised that businesses should be a step ahead of customer expectations and needs, instead of merely reacting to them.

“This is a significant step forward and truly marks the beginning of a new era, one in which data becomes the electricity power companies.

“An updated governance framework for data protection is a logical policy component of this new age.

“Building on these rules, innovation coupled with trust among businesses and citizens will unlock productivity, help companies to keep their customers delighted and fuel a new generation of disruptors.

“Ultimately, all of these translate into growth,” he said.

He said that data which was the most important asset in a modern company’s business portfolio needed the GDPR as a logical policy since it would guarantee the privacy and integrity of individuals’ data.

Edokpolor said that, with the compliance deadline approaching, many companies were thinking of steps to take to meet the new privacy and data protection requirements as efficiently and effectively as possible.

He said that achieving this would depend on how the companies would address three things – people, processes, and preparedness.

The attorney listed some principles that could help to achieve the compliance to include effective data management and creation of data confidence culture.

According to him, effective data governance demands a people-first approach.

“”Every business maintains strict processes for tracking revenue, costs, and all manner of financial flows.

“They don’t just do this because it is required, but because it makes business sense.

“”You cannot map your company’s future if you do not know your current state of financial affairs to the bottom line.

“Companies need to maintain the same birds-eye-view of their data assets, via a solid data governance strategy,” he said.

`Edokpolor said that there was the need to place approach to data governance within the context of a broader digital transformation.

According to him, the May 25 deadline for GDPR compliance is not a final destination.

“Rather, it is just one stepping-stone in an ongoing journey toward realizing the full potential of digital transformation across economies and communities.

“Establishing a firm approach to data governance represents one of the smartest investments a company can make.”


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.

GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.

In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.

Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).

GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.


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Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”

Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.

A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.

Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”

Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.

“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”


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Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.

The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.

He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.

This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.

GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.

The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”

As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.

With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.

 


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