The Nigerian government has deployed over 5,000 kilometers of fibre optic cable across 28 states under its National Information Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) initiative. The announcement was made by Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, during his keynote at the 2025 ICTEL Expo in Lagos.
The state-owned digital infrastructure provider is expanding connectivity to state capitals, federal institutions, ministries, and private enterprises across Nigeria. “We are not stopping at routers and cables. We are building a platform for digital governance,” Adeyanju said.
Galaxy Backbone operates what is currently Africa’s largest publicly owned Tier III and Tier IV data centre network, certified by the Uptime Institute. This infrastructure supports startups, government agencies, and local businesses with enterprise-grade digital services once only accessible through foreign tech providers.
The company’s ecosystem also includes a 24/7 Network Operating Centre (NOC) and an advanced Security Operations Centre (SOC) offering real-time threat detection, endpoint security, and digital brand protection—critical to Nigeria’s expanding digital services landscape.
“Infrastructure doesn’t innovate, but it empowers innovation,” Adeyanju emphasized. “When developers can rely on stable networks, when startups build confidently without fear of outages, and when government services are consistent and digital, real innovation thrives.”
He cited World Bank research showing that every 10% increase in broadband penetration can yield a 1.38% GDP growth in developing countries. Still, Nigeria remains in the lower-middle readiness tier of the ITU Digital Development Index, signaling both challenges and vast potential.
To fully realize the benefits of these investments, Adeyanju stressed the importance of collaboration among government bodies, the private sector, academia, and international development partners. “We’re opening our infrastructure to partnerships that align with national interests and foster innovation,” he said.
He concluded by noting that strategic use of this infrastructure can propel advancements in e-learning, digital health, cybersecurity, AI, and robotics, and help Nigeria leapfrog into the next phase of its digital transformation.
