Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, has challenged the management and members of staff of the Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited, on rapid innovation and unflinching drive to put customers first.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Managing Director of GBB, Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, on Tuesday.
Galaxy Backbone is the information technology and shared services provider of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Pantami, was speaking in his capacity as minister and also as chairman of a four-day retreat for members of staff of GBB in Abuja.
“I will like to encourage all the Management team of Galaxy Backbone to support the Managing Director to ensure that GBB continues to make innovations such that the perceived and yet to be perceived needs of the customer come first.
“It is my hope that after this retreat, GBB will adopt the exploration, rather than exploitation approach in its long-term critical thinking, to set the nation on a new branded Galaxy Backbone,” Pantami was quoted as saying in the statement.
Also speaking, Abubakar said the minister had set the policy direction for GBB through the Digital Economy Policy and Strategy document, hence the need for the management retreat to strategise on how to execute it.
He highlighted the great achievements of GBB in the past one year and recognised that the successes made were great because of the support of the ministry.
According to him, Galaxy Backbone has in the last one year, with the support of the minister, risen to the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic, by providing digital and network communication services to Federal Government offices.
“Homes of top government functionaries, which has allowed effective government business continuity, while obeying COVID-19 protocols of social distancing and remote working.”
Abubakar promised that he would continue to do everything within his capacity to ensure that GBB’s internal and external stakeholders and customers received improved and committed digital services and make GBB ICT service provider of choice.
He described the Minister’s presence at the retreat as a commitment to the digitalisation of Nigeria and belief in GBB’s capability to provide digital services to government institutions, as well as its ability to deliver on the implementation of the Digital transformation drive of Nigeria.
While describing GBB staff as the organisation’s assets, Abubakar thanked them for their efforts in the development of the organisation.
“This was driven by stakeholder (both internal and external), and Industry perspectives meant to ensure that Galaxy Backbone prepares itself adequately for the challenges and opportunities.
“Not just for the COVID era, but also in the area of digital transformational changes going on in Nigeria and across the world,” he said.
Abubakar noted that the retreat deliberated on a five-year business plan, anchored on six strategic pillars of: Government Policies; Data Sovereignty; Financial Sustainability; Customer Satisfaction; Operational Excellence, Improved Capacity and Capability.
According to him, adequate initiatives and strategies have been developed around these pillars to ensure GBB provides effective, efficient and reliable high speed connectivity services across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), of Government and the country at large.
He also said that this would help in deepening broadband penetration and adding greater value for a digital Nigeria and beyond, saying the vision of GBB remained “to become a leading enabler of digital inclusion for Africa.”
He stated that in the next few years (2021-2025), the services of Galaxy Backbone would be driven by excellence and a customer centric mindset.