Two years ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) appointed a new Executive Management Team at Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), marking a pivotal shift in Nigeria’s digital trajectory. Today, the organization celebrates the second anniversary of its leadership team: Prof. Ibrahim A. Adeyanju (MD/CEO), Hon. Olusegun Olulade (Customer Centricity & Marketing), Muhammed Sani Ibrahim (Finance & Corporate Services), and Olumbe Akinkugbe (Digital Exploration & Technical Services).
Their tenure has transitioned GBB from a simple connectivity provider to a strategic custodian of Nigeria’s sovereign digital infrastructure.
The leadership’s primary achievement was the launch of the Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS) 2023–2028, which shifted the focus toward a holistic ecosystem. This strategy integrates infrastructure and platforms to build the physical and digital rails for governance. It also ensures policy alignment so that GBB’s goals match national digital economy targets while prioritizing value creation by leveraging data and connectivity to improve citizen services.
Over the past 24 months, GBB has moved aggressively to close the digital divide through high-impact projects. The agency delivered broadband to nine underserved Local Government Areas under Project 774 to bring previously isolated communities into the digital fold. It also completed “Fibre-to-Hostel” projects at the University of Lagos, University of Abuja, and University of Jos to bolster academic research. Furthermore, GBB enhanced connectivity at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and key Federal Secretariats to streamline public operations. To ensure backbone resilience, the agency partnered with the West Indian Ocean Cable Company to strengthen the national fibre backbone and improve system redundancy.
GBB has moved beyond hardware to develop indigenous software and platforms that ensure data sovereignty. GovMail is a secure, locally developed email solution now used by over 100,000 public and civil servants to ensure official communications remain within national borders. The 1Government Cloud has been expanded to provide MDAs with secure hosting and shared services, which significantly reduces the cost of government IT operations. Additionally, the Government as a Platform framework allows different agencies to share data and services seamlessly via the Government Service Portal. The agency also established a year-round, 365-day service desk and a cybersecurity operations center to provide constant monitoring against threats.
Despite fiscal constraints and rising cyber threats, GBB has maintained operational excellence through disciplined financial management and ISO recertification milestones. This progress has been made possible through the support of key stakeholders, including Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. Other vital supporters include Senator Dr. George Akume, who serves as the SGF and GBB Board Chair, and Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The transformation under Prof. Adeyanju’s leadership has earned GBB over 20 prestigious awards, such as the NET5.5G Pioneer Award and the Artificial Intelligence Award. The organization was also named Best ICT Provider Company of the Year, and Prof. Adeyanju was recognized as one of the top 100 leading personalities in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry. As Galaxy Backbone enters its third year under this management team, the vision remains clear to build a secure and connected Nigeria. By deepening cloud sovereignty and strengthening cybersecurity, GBB is ensuring that Nigeria’s digital future is not just connected but also protected.