E-Business
6 African Countries Imposed Internet Restrictions in First Half of 2023

Surfshark conducted a half-year analysis of internet shutdowns based on the Internet Shutdown Tracker. The study found that there were 42 new internet disruptions during the first half of 2023 globally, 9 of which were recorded in Africa.

The countries responsible for these restrictions were Ethiopia, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Sudan and Tanzania. All of Africa’s new restrictions were imposed amid protests or other political turmoil, highlighting the critical role the internet plays during periods of civil unrest.
“Today, billions of people are subjected to internet restrictions, which continue to increase at an alarming rate. Internet restrictions often happen in times of political unrest, such as protests, controversial elections, or even military action—which is when people need to be connected to one another the most”, says Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, Surfshark spokeswoman.
The six African countries imposed either network connection disruptions or social media restrictions. Here’s an overview of the restrictions in these 6 countries:
Ethiopia restricted social media access in February 2023 amid protests over the split of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Tanzania temporarily restricted the social audio platform Clubhouse (frequently used by activists and the diaspora) in February amid political turmoil.
Mauritania imposed two nationwide internet restrictions: one happened in March (during protests over a prison riot) and one in May (amid protests after the death of an individual in police custody).
Sudan imposed a series of nationwide internet restrictions starting in April amid the armed conflict between rival factions of military forces.
Guinea imposed social media restrictions in May amid anti-government demonstrations.
Senegal temporarily restricted social media and mobile internet access amid protests over the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko in June 2023.
Notably, two other African countries – Burkina Faso and Eritrea – have long-term restrictions that were ongoing before the start of the year and continued throughout the first half of the year.
“When the internet is restricted, people are left with limited opportunity for spreading information to the rest of the world, organizing protests and medical aid for the people in need, and contacting friends and loved ones. It’s important to spread the word on this because the people affected often have limited opportunity to do so themselves”, comments Racaityte-Krasauske.
Globally, Iran (14 new cases), India (9 new cases), and Pakistan (3 new cases) were the top three countries by new internet restrictions for the first half of 2023. Asia has long been the focal point of internet shutdowns, with 71% of all new restrictions in the first half of the year happening in Asia.
Protests were the leading cause of government-imposed internet restrictions globally. More than two-thirds of the new disruptions (a total of 30) were triggered by public demonstrations, highlighting that the internet is a battleground for vital information during periods of civil unrest.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
E-Business
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.

“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
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