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DigitalSENSE Africa, CRAC Petition President Biya over Internet Shut-Down

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Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, executive director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa,
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Continental leading At-Large Structure (ALS) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the DigitalSENSE Africa, in collaboration with the Cyber Rights Advocacy Coalition (CRAC) has petitioned the President of the Republic of Cameroun, Mr. Paul Biya, over the Internet shut down in the southern part of the country.

The group recalls that the incident of Internet shut down in the two Anglophone regions of the Republic of Cameroun, namely the South West and North West came on the orders of government of Cameroun through the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Ministry of Communications.

In an open letter on behalf of the coalition, made available to newsmen, and endorsed by Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, executive director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa, they expressed concern over the increasing number of internet shut downs in Africa, especially the Central African countries, describing it as alarming.

According to the coalition, out of an estimated 10 shut downs in recent times in Africa, 7 were from the Central African countries including Cameroun, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo. This is in addition to Egypt, Sudan and Niger.

The coalition also said its worried, hence, they are adding their voices formally alongside other local, continental and international civil society organisations on the protracted subject, which they said was uncalled for in the first instance at this era of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) ruling the world.

In addition, they were disturbed that the Cameroun government’s action has led to disconnection and lack of Internet connectivity in two regions, at a time country like Canada a few days before proclaimed a high-speed internet, a basic service “necessary to the quality of life” of all Canadians.

The open letter dated February 14 with the theme: Internet Shut Down in Anglophone regions of Republic of Cameroun, the coalition noted that as a forward looking organizations of repute that see the future of African countries including the Republic of Cameroun and their economies, as well as efforts to largely alleviate poverty on the society; greatly depending on the availability and quality of Internet access to the citizenry at this 21st century and beyond.

“We wish to state that this action (by Cameroun) not only negates the possibility of Central Africa not meeting the Africa’s target within the 2063 Agenda, but the Republic of Cameroun being adversely affected both in the infrastructure development and human capital,” the group said.

They, therefore, solicited President Biya’s good offices, to as matter of urgency reverse the order given to the service operators through the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

“We also urge the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to quickly liaise with other regional and continental bodies to ensure a change of heart by Mr. Biya’s government,” the group said, stressing that ECCAS intervention would send the right signal to Mr. Biya and any other African country that may be thinking on following this ugly footstep, mostly in ECCAS region to realise the essence of the Internet to our daily existence.

The coalition further, encouraged local Civil Society Organisations in the Republic of Cameroun to remain steadfast while beckoning the global and International communities to condemn the action of Mr. Biya’s government in totality, because it distorts conventions including the African Peoples Right among others.

“Above all, the citizens’ access to the world should be upper most in the African leadership,” the group said, just as they ask the government of Cameroun guarantee internet access without further restriction to these two regions: South West and North West; otherwise known as Anglophone regions; reinstate commitment to keeping the internet connected and accessible, including social media to the people of Republic of Cameroun.

The coalition maintained that by collaborating with the African Union (AU), ECCAS in resolving whatever seemingly problem suspected to have led to the shut down in first instance and “embrace a new slogan of ‘Internet is for everyone’ because any clamp down on one is an injury and violation of cyber rights of citizens.”


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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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