FG to Complete Galaxy BackBone Office Complex Soon

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has pledged federal government’s commitment to completing the new office complex of Galaxy BackBone (GBB), within the next two months.

The multi-million naira head office complex of the parastatal under the ministry will fast track effective deployment of broadband services to both the public and private sectors.

Shittu , who made the pledge during his maiden visit to Galaxy BackBone Ltd, over the weekend, in Abuja, said discussions are at top stage with various development partners on how the project which is near completion will be quickened to enable the company expand its operations.

The minister said the downturn in the economy notwithstanding, and considering the importance of ICT as an enabler of all other sectors, government will put its focus and resources into making the office an immediate reality.

He said: “Our intervention on the project is crucial and we believe it is one project that will certainly finance itself in the long run due to the long range of services it will render. It is a thing of joy for this agency to be created, particularly as it will fill the yarning gap in the ICT sector and bring everybody on board.”

According to him, government would soon release to the media the roadmap for ICT development in the country, stressing that it contained among others the revolutionary master plan for the transformation of the Nigerian Postal Service, (NIPOST).

He also said that the Information and Communication Technology University to be established by the present administration would be the best in Africa, stressing that the ministry is awaiting the approval of the Federal Executive Council to start the school.

“ICT has gone beyond classroom teaching of computers, especially given its exponential growth and impact on every sector of the economy. The six campuses of the Digital Institute would be the starting place and we are confident about the support and ability of the NCC and other institutions and stakeholders to ensure the success of the university.” Shittu said.

In a remark, the Chief Executive of the agency, Mallam Yusuf Kazaure, said the agency was established based on the need to pursue a coordinated and harmonised approach to information and communications technology acquisition, operation and use in the public sector.

Galaxy Backbone, he added, has built a common services platform consisting of a government datacenter, pervasive connectivity infrastructure and transversal applications to support the adoption of ICT within the public sector.

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