Galaxy Backbone has completed the phase one of National ICT Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) Project of the Federal Secretariats across the country.
The phase two of the project is on-going with Galaxy Backbone Limited targeting March 2019 for overall completion of the project.
NICTIB is a Federal Government project that is delivered through Galaxy Backbone and financed with a China EXIM Bank facility.
Mr Yusuf Kazaure, managing director, Galaxy Backbone Limited, disclosed these during his presentation at the recent workshop and public unveiling of National ICT Roadmap by the Ministry of Communications in Lagos.
Mr. Kazaure said that the critical national infrastructure deployed through Galaxy Backbone, the Government ICT services provider, connects all FGN secretariat complexes in States.
The project, he said, interconnects with undersea fibre cables, provides an e-Government connectivity backbone and broadband Internet.
He said the Optic Fibre connectivity phase one has been completed to run through Abuja-AkwangaLafia-Makurdi-Enugu – Onitsha – Asaba – Benin-City – Ore- Ijebu-Ode- Lagos to international undersea cables.
“Phase 2 is underway and will connect additional 22 cities. To be delivered by March 2019”, he said.
The Managing Director further said that Galaxy Backbone’s partners and other stakeholders are guaranteed returns based as its Infrastructure as a Service business model will provide services to these institutions at an annual premium fee.
He said that GBB services are part of FG’s deliberate attempt to translate policy into action especially with respect to fulfilling government’s promises to the people in reducing poverty and unemployment through various social development programmes.
“There are more than 60million Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria.
“These are the building blocks of the economy and the cornerstone on which the future of the economy is based, hence, it is important that the ease with which these SMEs does business with each other and the government is simplified”, Mr. Kazaure said.
Speaking, specifically on GBB’s Evolving Business Model, the MD said they are open to partner with Private operators to deliver services according to International standards.
“GBB is government owned, but professionally driven to meet the demands of ‘worldclass organisations’. We have a renewed focus on the customer & the customers’ ‘customer’.
“One area GBB is critical to FG is the security of Government Data – a key factor for our future”. Therefore, we are open to partnership; collaboration; shared thought leadership with private sector ICT thought leaders”.
On capacity building, he said, it remains a key element in public sector requiring private sector partnership to meet the e-government goals for the nation.
