Pantami Sets Policy For Galaxy Backbone At 2021 Management Retreat

Pantami Sets Policy For Galaxy Backbone At 2021 Management Retreat

TECH DIGEST – The four-day retreat 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 of not just the COVID era but also the digital transformational changes going on in Nigeria and across the world.

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has encourage all the Management Team of Galaxy Backbone Limited to support the Managing Director, Prof. Muhammad Bello Abubakar, to ensure that GBB continues to innovate such that the perceived and yet to be perceived needs of the customer come first.

He made the remark as the Chairman of the 2021 Management Retreat of GBB which took place in Nigeria’s Jewel of the Savannah, Gombe State,

This event had as its Special Guest, the Executive Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya who was represented by the Deputy Governor of the State, Manassah Daniel Jatau (PhD).

The four-day retreat 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 of not just the COVID era but also the digital transformational changes going on in Nigeria and across the world.

Galaxy Backbone is an organization under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy which plays a fundamental role in providing the Infrastructure and shared services platform for the Digital Economy Strategy and Policy on one hand and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan on another; both projects are being championed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Dr. Pantami’s presence at the commencement of this 2021 retreat showed his greater commitment to the digitalization of Nigeria and the Federal Government believe on the Galaxy Backbone’s capability to provide digital services to Government institutions across the country and deliver on the implementation of the Digital transformation drive of the nation.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammad Bello Abubakar, highlighted the great achievements of GBB in the past one year and recognized that the successes made were greatly because of the support of the Minister, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami.

In his words; “Galaxy Backbone has in the last one year, with the support of the Honourable Minister, risen to the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic by providing digital and network communication services to Federal Government offices and homes of top Government functionaries which has allowed effective Government business continuity while obeying COVID-19 protocols of social distancing and remote working. This also made possible the continuous virtual meetings of the Federal Executive Council.”

Prof. Abubakar further stated that Dr. Pantami has set the policy direction for Galaxy Backbone through the Digital Economy Policy and Strategy document, hence the need for the management retreat to strategize on how to execute it.

This 2021 Management retreat of the Galaxy Backbone deliberated on a five-year business plan anchored on six strategic pillars of:

Government Policies,
Data Sovereignty,
Financial Sustainability,
Customer Satisfaction,
Operational Excellence, and
Improved Capacity and Capability.

“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 entire nation, which will help in deepening broadband penetration and adding greater value for a digital Nigeria and beyond. The vision of the GBB remains “to become a leading enabler of digital inclusion for Africa.”

In the next years (2021-2025), the services of the Galaxy Backbone will be driven by excellence and a customer centric mindset.

According to Dr. Pantami, “I would like to encourage all the Management Team of Galaxy Backbone to support the Managing Director to ensure that GBB continues to innovate 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 such that the nation will have a new branded Galaxy Backbone.”

The retreat ended with Prof. M.B. Abubakar thanking the GBB Staff, whom he described as the organization’s assets, for their efforts and promised that he will continue to do all it takes within his capacity to ensure that GBB’s internal and external stakeholders and customers receive improved and committed digital services such that GBB becomes ICT service provider of choice.