E-Business
Internet Contract: Auditor-General Asks Aziz, NIMC Boss Refund to N229m

Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) has asked Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, director-general, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to refund N229 million into the federal government’s treasury, over alleged non-compliance with the Public Procurement Act in the award of the contract for the supply of internet servers.

Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, DG, NIMC
This is coming as the Senate Public Account Committee (SPAC) also launched probe on the contract, following the query contained in the 2017 report of the Auditor General for the Federation.
However, Aziz, the DG of NIMC, who appeared before the Committee recently, claimed that the contract falls within the threshold of the Commission’s Tenders Board because it is classified under ‘works’.
The query reads: “Audit observed that capital payment vouchers reference number: NIMC/LS/IGL/1/11/105, dated 25th October, 2017 for N229.7 million showed that NIMC procured 22 units of HP blade servers for Morpho BSS upgrade.
“The items were supplied. There was no evidence of Ministerial Tender’s Board approval, thus, negating the mandatory ‘Open Competitive’ bidding. Public advertisement in at least two national dailies, as required by Financial Regulation 2907 (1) and section 251(ii) of the Public Procurement Act, was absent.
“There was an initial payment of N103.4 million vide payment voucher number NIMC/01/016 CA/18 dated 19/01/18, representing 45 per cent of the contract sum as against the mobilisation fee of 15 per cent.
“The other subsequent payments were not also backed by an interim performance certificate as required by Section 35(2) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
“This is an indication of weakness in the internal control system at National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
“This could lead to poor value for money and possibility of misapplication and misappropriation of funds. Management’s response: No response was received from management at the time of our report.
“Recommendation: The Director-General is required to refund the sum of N229 million.”
Senator Matthew Urhoghide, chairman of the Senate panel, sustained the query at the sitting of his panel on Tuesday and demanded further information from the agency.
However, Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, director-general of NIMC, said that the contract fell within the threshold of the Commission’s Tenders Board because it is classified under ‘works’.
He said that all the servers had been supplied before the initial payment of 45 per cent which represents part payment and not mobilisation due to paucity of funds.
He further informed the committee that the amount was meant to procure 22 blade servers to accommodate 20 million enrollment records.
He also said that the contract was a continuation of procurement of Enterprise Servers and Storage Solution and Equipment which was awarded in 2012.
He added that the Commission had registered 57 million people as of Tuesday while 90 servers were needed to register 100 million Nigerians.
He said the Commission will on Wednesday submit a N25bn proposal to buy more servers in order to take the whole population.
But Uroghide said that it is wrong for the Commission to continue the 2012 procurement process in 2017.
The chairman said, “We are supposed to do a status inquiry on your Commission because it looks like all your documents are muddled up.”
The Committee, therefore, mandated the NIMC management to reappear next week Thursday with more documents to back up their claims.
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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