E-Business
How AI-Powered Chatbots can Boost West Africa’s Fragmented Public Service Delivery

By Olatayo Ladipo-Ajai, Regional Manager West Africa at Infobip Nigeria
The public sector in West Africa, much like in other parts of the world, is grappling with deep-rooted challenges. From rigid bureaucracies to outdated systems, the very institutions tasked with serving citizens often find themselves trapped in structures that stifle innovation and delay impact.

Olatayo Ladipo-Ajai, Regional Manager West Africa at Infobip Nigeria
Across Nigeria and much of West Africa, public institutions remain constrained by manual processes, fragmented systems, and limited digital infrastructure. These inefficiencies slow down decision-making, obstruct transparency, and leave frontline workers without the tools they need to serve citizens effectively.
This is not just inconvenient, it represents a systemic failure that erodes public trust, stalls development and deepens inequality. Poor service delivery weakens key sectors like healthcare, education and agriculture, while limited government agility leaves communities exposed to risks such as climate change, energy insecurity and economic shocks.
Meanwhile, citizens face shifting policies, bureaucracy and unclear procedures, reinforcing the perception that government services are inefficient, disconnected from their everyday realities and indifferent to people’s needs.
The foundation of modern governance
Technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Digitisation is not about replacing people, but empowering them through interoperable, data-driven systems that enable real-time collaboration, smarter decisions and more inclusive, citizen-centric services.
Governments must stop treating digital transformation as a side project and start embracing it as the foundation of modern governance, shifting from reactive service delivery to proactive, systemic progress.
To unlock the true potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public service delivery, we must focus on the everyday pain points citizens face when engaging with government, especially in regions like West Africa, where resources are limited and systems are often fragmented.
AI-powered solutions offer scalability. By targeting high-traffic domains, such as housing, taxation, transportation and healthcare, governments can extend their reach, empower citizens, and free up resources for more complex needs.
Ultimately, every citizen interaction is an opportunity for AI-powered chatbots to simplify, support and elevate the public service experience. With strategic deployment, it is possible to build systems that are not only efficient but also inclusive and human-centric.
A mobile-first approach
At the same time, smartphone usage for accessing government services in West Africa is growing. Many citizens are now choosing to engage with public services via mobile devices, highlighting a critical insight: public service delivery must adopt a mobile-first approach.
While the private sector in West Africa has embraced mobile platforms and reaped the rewards, the public sector often lags, despite having even more reason to adapt. To boost adoption and reach, governments must meet citizens where they are: on their phones.
Mobile-first is not just a tech upgrade; it is a strategic imperative. It aligns with user behaviour, expands access and enables scalable service delivery.
By automating routine enquiries and pre-engagement tasks through chatbots, governments can reduce operational costs, ease pressure on physical offices, and improve overall service delivery. This shift allows citizens to engage directly from their phones, streamlining access and minimising the need for intermediaries.
Beyond efficiency, mobile-first strategies enhance transparency and accountability. Real-time analytics provide insights into service gaps and citizen needs, enabling smarter decision-making and continuous improvement. Ultimately, this approach restores dignity in public service, aligns with modern expectations and positions governments to scale their impact across diverse communities.
Challenges to adoption
One of the biggest barriers to AI adoption in the public sector is not just infrastructure, but the knowledge gap. Many governments lack the technical expertise to deploy and maintain AI solutions like chatbots, and there’s often a fear that automation will lead to job losses.
However, AI is not here to replace people, it is here to strengthen service delivery where gaps already exist. To make this shift viable, governments must rethink their approach to infrastructure and invest in developing internal capabilities.
Another key barrier is digital literacy. Civil servants and citizens alike need to understand how to interact with AI-driven platforms. Without this foundational knowledge, even the best tools will fall short. Equally important is the development of clear data governance frameworks – guidelines that define how AI and chatbots are used, what freedoms and protections exist and where boundaries must be set.
Ultimately, governments need a roadmap; a strategic vision that defines how AI will be integrated, what outcomes are expected, and how risks will be managed. With the right partnerships, education, and governance structures in place, AI can become a catalyst – not a threat – for transforming public service delivery.
AI-powered platforms are no longer optional for governments; they are inevitable. Citizens will demand them, and public institutions must respond. In West Africa, chatbots and intelligent digital interfaces offer a pathway to leapfrog legacy systems and accelerate modernisation.
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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