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CWG Leads Consortium to Deliver NgREN

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Austin Okere, Founder and CEO, CWG
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Dr. Jonathan Ebele Goodluck, President of Nigeria, recently commissioned the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), the first of its kind in West and Central Africa, built by a consortium of technology companies led by the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG Plc).

The President was represented by Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, minister of State for Education;  and supported by Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Senate Committee Chairman on Education; Honourable Aminu Suleiman, House Committee Chairman on Education; Dr. Mrs. Omobola Johnson, minister of communication Technology; Dr. Macjohn Nwaobiala, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education;  Senator Amadu Ali, chairman, NUC  Board;  and Prof. Julius A. Okojie, executive secretary, NUC and chairman, NgREN board.

In his speech delivered by the Minister of State for Education, the President remarked “As I join the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) in the celebration of this achievement in the establishment of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), I commend the individuals and groups that dedicated time and energy to make it a reality. Let me particularly appreciate the World Bank for its support to the NgREN project, the Executive Secretary of the NUC for championing its cause and the hardworking team of dedicated individuals from within the university system he put together to realize this dream.”

 In continuing, the President made the following charge “Government expects all Education and Research Institutions to enlist as members of the NgREN and that the current low ranking of Nigerian universities in quality of teaching and research output will improve significantly within a short time as a result”.

In conclusion, the President said “To ensure the broadband infrastructure and services already provided are maintained and improved upon for the use of all education and research institutions in Nigeria, I hereby approve and therefore direct the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to provide the necessary funds for this purpose”.

An elated Dr. Omobola Johnson in her remarks noted the major milestone in local technology advancement with a network of this magnitude wholly designed by Nigerians, built by Nigerians and managed by Nigerians. She specifically singled out CWG Plc, Resourcery Limited and Phase 3 Telecoms for commendation. 

According to Austin Okere, CEO of CWG Plc, “we have never been in doubt of local capacity to deliver major technology projects for government. We have matured in delivering projects of this scale, and are grateful to the NUC and World Bank for the opportunity to prove this with the timely delivery of the NgREN. We do look forward to the opportunity of extending this success in the next phases of the project”. Continuing, Okere said “it will be recalled that CWG Plc was named a World Economic Forum Global Growth Company at the 2014 WEF Africa. CWG was selected for this recognition based on our phenomenal growth, global corporate citizenshipp, executive leadership and impact on the competitive landscape of the ICT industry in Africa”.

The first phase of the project, under the Science and Technology Education Post-Basic (STEP-B) initiative covers the 27 Premier Federal Universities in Nigeria and their over one million students and staff.

Their interconnection via a fully redundant broadband network was completed in record time, way ahead of the schedule set by the World Bank, co-sponsors of the project.

The NgREN currently delivers 155mbps (STM1) capacity to each university and connects to the Multiprotocol Layered Switch (MPLS) core network, which has a 10Gbps capacity, as well as 465mbps (3STM1) internet capacity, providing high definition telepresence capabilities for real-time collaboration, voice over internet protocol (VOIP), shared access to research content and joint experimentation projects.

The scope and complexity of the project, CWG assembled a consortium of partners including Airtel, Phase 3, Medallion and Cisco to work with her to build the highest level of redundancy, through a primary and backup fibre infrastructure in an active to active mode, along with a Network Management suit that enables the NgREN to effectively monitor the entire system.

The universities connected in this pioneer phase include; University of Lagos, National Open University, Federal University of Technology, Akure, University of Ilorin, University of Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Federal University of Petroleum, Effurum, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and the Michael Opara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Others are, the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, University of Calabar, University of Jos, University of Port Harcourt, University of Uyo, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, University of Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bayoro University, Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Benin, University of Maiduguri and the university of Yola. 

Future phases of the project shall include the deepening of research and education content through partnerships with global research and learning content providers and also expanding the network to include all Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of education Nationwide.


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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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.


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Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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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.”


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Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

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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