E-Business
Ekeh, Zinox Boss @ SME Conference Urges Entrepreneurs to Retool

Leo Stan Ekeh, serial entrepreneur and chairman of Zinox Group, has urged entrepreneurs to embrace the concept of retooling as a fundamental tool for sustaining their entrepreneurial drive and corporate relevance in today’s dynamic business environment.
Ekeh, Icon of Hope handed this charge at the maiden edition of the Fidelity Bank Annual SME Conference with the theme “Positioning Nigerian SMEs for Growth” held in Lagos.
Leading the panel discussion on the topic “Leveraging Technology for SME Growth”, he noted that contemporary business has undergone a profound transformation, especially with the impact of internet-mediated technologies which has lent an unprecedented measure of speed, innovation and efficiency to business processes.
While acknowledging that access to the internet has significantly placed Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria on a much more equal footing with their counterparts in other climes, he counseled entrepreneurs to capitalize on the influence of technology to drive business growth.
He said that “This is the century of the Black Man and only technology can take us there. Whether you belong to the past century or the present century, you must re-tool in order to remain relevant as an entrepreneur. Today, modern technology has created immense possibilities for us and we must take advantage of them to grow our businesses. There are major platforms at your finger-tips; huge apps that have created integrity and transparency in business dealings. The 21st century is one of freedom; freedom to be who you want.
“You must manage your businesses with integrity in the current technological dispensation. There can be no short term, medium or long term business plan without short term, medium or long term objectives. This is why you must start small and grow from micro to small, medium and then a large scale enterprise because the world only elevates you when you become a large stock.” Ekeh added.
Tracing the infrastructural challenges he encountered while starting out in business and which have now been surmounted with the advent of wider access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools such as the internet and the proliferation of mobile devices, Ekeh urged the participants to remain positive in the face of current challenges, noting that these will soon be a thing of the past.
“You must remain positive in spite of the disruptions in the system, especially with the fall in crude oil prices and the fluid state of the naira. You must be positive and watch the gaps. This is our country; we must fix it.”
The ICT enthusiast, whose brain-child Zinox Technologies pioneered the manufacture of Nigeria’s first internationally certified computers, lauded the role being played by Fidelity Bank in encouraging the growth of SMEs in the country, noting that this has created an enabling environment for this crucial business segment to thrive.
Also speaking at the event, Mazi Sam Ohabunwa, chairman of the SME Conference hailed the initiative as one that would provide vital business intelligence for SMEs and an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from other established names in the sector.
The well-attended event also witnessed experience-sharing sessions from key business leaders including Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One; Nicolas Martin, who co-founded online shopping giants Jumia and Austin Okere, CEO of Computer Warehouse Group, among others.
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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