News
Abubakar, Galaxy Backbone MD, Emerges CommunicationsWeek ‘Man of the Year’
Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, managing director, Galaxy Backbone was at this year’s Beacon of ICT Awards held on July 24, 2021 received Nigeria CommunicationsWeek ‘Man of the Year’ award.
According to Ken Nwogbo, managing director, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, organisers of the BoICT Lectur/Awards, “ Prof. Abubakar emerged as our ‘Man of the Year’ through a transparent online voting process opened to stakeholders in ICT where over one million votes were cast and Prof. Abubakar came tops.
“The emergence of Prof. Muhammad Abubakar is a testament of his immersed contributions to the growth and development of information and communications technology since he became the chief executive officer of Galaxy Backbone.
“Under the leadership of Professor Muhammad Abubakar, GBB rose up to the challenge of the time by putting in place virtual interaction platforms to facilitate communication and collaboration in government from the Federal Executive level to intra-MDA levels. Connectivity was provided at the residence of key government officers to ensure seamless interaction during lockdown and movement restrictions required to manage COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
With respect to the operation efficiency of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Abubakar spearheaded many initiatives to drive improvement, promote agility, cut costs, and improve the quality of services. From technical and financial effectiveness to human resources and capability development, a number of initiatives were implemented to better position GBB.
He is also driving many initiatives that will promote collaboration and partnership with all stakeholders which include Government institutions, MDA customers, suppliers and channel partners.
In the first year of Professor Muhammad Abubakar, a lot of historic achievements have been made and a foundation set for growth of the organization to better position it to deliver value in line with its mandate and Government strategic direction and priorities.
To set the direction for Galaxy Backbone for the next five years, the management of Galaxy Backbone under the leadership of Prof. Muhammad Abubakar has developed Galaxy 3.0 – a Strategic Business Plan to set goals to be achieved on annual basis for the next five years.
The Business Plan was underpinned by the mandate of Galaxy Backbone and key strategic policies of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The Strategic Business plan identifies activities required for GBB to improve in the delivery of its mandate, support the attainment of the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), and Nigerian eGovernment Masterplan amongst others.
It also lays down strategy to engage the MDAs to better support the attainment of their mandates while also identifying strategy for collaborating with technology partners to deliver value.
The Business Plan will help Galaxy play its roles in the achievement of the policies of the Government as prioritized and laid down by the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.
The Plan also focuses on ensuring that critical national ICT infrastructure that Government has invested in is optimized to provide value to Government MDAs, Private Sector players, citizens, and underserved communities whilst also ensuring GBB sweats the assets and makes meaningful return on investments.
The Man Prof. Muhmmad Abubakar
Professor Abubakar has over two decades of working experience spanning the academia, oil and gas exploration research, development and innovation institutions. He is a strategic thinker with strong leadership and management skill. He has an impressive exposure to global best practice in the field of energy. Muhammad is a Professor of Petroleum Geosciences.
Prior to his appointment as MD/CE, he was the Executive Director and a Principal start-up for the establishment and development of the National Centre for Petroleum Research and Development of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, where he spearheaded a cross-cutting edge research that developed the conceptual exploration model deployed in the successful oil and gas exploration in the frontier basin of the Northeast Nigeria. He was also a Research Consultant to NNPC on oil and gas exploration.
Muhammad hails from Gombe State. He is an alumnus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (where he obtained B.Tech. in Applied Geology, M.Sc. in Sedimentology/Petroleum Geology and Ph.D. in Sedimentology/Petroleum Geology), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and was a recipient of several awards that included National University Commission’s (NUC’s) best Ph.D. thesis award in physical sciences from all Nigeria Universities.
He has attended several information and Communication (ICT) training programs including basic Cisco Academy Networking certification, several local and international programs in leadership and strategic management, as well as many sustainable development trainings in the field of energy.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading fintech company, has partnered with Globacom to launch the second edition of the “Recharge and Win Bonanza” campaign. The promotion, which runs from June 19th to August 8th, 2025, offers Nigerians the chance to win amazing prizes when they purchase Glo airtime and data via the PalmPay app.
According to a joint statement by PalmPay and Globacom, “A weekly live raffle draw will be held and streamed on PalmPay’s official social media channels throughout the campaign. Customers who make Glo transactions through the PalmPay app will be eligible to win prizes, including the iPhone 15 Pro, Infinix Hot 40, and other exciting items”.
To participate, interested customers can log onto http://bit.ly/PalmPaySms .
The statement added that all transaction above N500 gives participants an extra shot at winning, adding that daily social media challenges will also offer participants a chance to win cash prizes.
Additionally, PalmPay users can enjoy up to 6% cashback when they buy Glo airtime and data through the PalmPay app. As an added bonus, customers who have not subscribed to a Glo data plan in the last 90 days will receive a 100% bonus on their recharge during the campaign period.
Wayne Ruppel, Head of Billers at PalmPay Limited expressed excitement about the partnership, stating that, “This collaboration is a major step in our mission to deliver MORE – more support, more rewards, and more innovation to our customers.
Partnering with Glo, a leader in the telecommunications sector, is a testament to our shared commitment to improving everyday experiences for all Nigerians. We are excited to reward our users and encourage everyone to take full advantage of this exciting opportunity.
Globacom also expressed delight at creating additional value for its subscribers through unique customer-appreciation schemes.
“Our partnership with PalmPay on the “Recharge and Win Bonanza perfectly underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional value and experiences. Over the years, we have always sought innovative ways to enrich the lives of our customers. We, therefore, enjoin our subscribers to utilize the opportunity provided by the bonanza and enjoy the many benefits it offers”, the company stated.
PalmPay and Glo will collaborate throughout the campaign period to deliver exceptional customer experience, reward loyalty, and reinforce their shared mission to make digital transactions more accessible, rewarding, and secure for millions of Nigerians.
News
UK Reaffirms 99% Duty-Free Access for Nigerian Exports Under Developing Countries Trading Scheme
United Kingdom has reiterated its long-term commitment to strengthening economic ties with Nigeria, confirming that 99% of Nigerian goods will continue to enjoy duty-free access to the UK market under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).
Dr. Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria
The announcement reinforces the UK’s intention to bolster sustainable trade with Nigeria, boost export competitiveness, and promote inclusive economic growth across both nations. Introduced in June 2023, the DCTS is designed to reduce tariffs and simplify export rules for developing economies. It currently benefits 37 African countries, with Nigeria being a key player.
Nigerian exporters are set to gain substantial advantages from the scheme, which allows over 3,000 products—ranging from cocoa, plantain, and shrimp to processed items like cocoa paste, palm oil, and cotton garments—to enter the UK duty-free or with reduced tariffs. This shift supports value addition in Nigeria’s export ecosystem, encouraging the move from raw to processed exports.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, said: > “Nigeria stands at the heart of the UK’s global trade ambitions. This isn’t just about improved market access—it’s about building a fairer, freer global trading system that supports economic growth and job creation, both in developing countries and in the UK.”
He further noted that through the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), the UK continues to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) to tackle export challenges and maximise opportunities under the scheme.
The DCTS aligns with broader UK efforts to expand trade relations across the globe, complementing recent agreements with nations such as India and the United States.
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