E-Business
IoT Set to Transform MEA – IDC

The first wave of innovation accelerators based on the 3rd Platform technologies of cloud, mobility, Big Data, and social media are beginning to roll into the Middle East and Africa (MEA) healthcare sector, with the Internet of things (IoT) set to play a fundamental role in shaping the digital transformation that will determine the industry’s future direction.
That’s according to the latest pronouncements from IDC Health Insights, which is confident that the currently nascent MEA IoT market will take off rapidly, offering considerable potential to vendors and healthcare providers alike through the rest of the decade.
“Few fields have greater IoT opportunities than healthcare,” said Nino Giguashvili, IDC Health Insights’ lead research analyst for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMA).
“Sensor-based technologies offer tremendous benefits at all levels, from inpatient treatment and community-based healthcare to social services and self-care, providing new opportunities for disease prevention via screening and early detection.
IoT technologies capable of automatically collecting and processing patient data enable us to capture early predictors of diseases while onset is still preventable and to diagnose diseases at early stages, when their progression and unwanted outcomes can be averted.”
With the availability of a wide range of telemedicine solutions, IoT has the potential to break down the distance barriers in healthcare, which are particularly acute in parts of the MEA region. Sensor-based systems can be used to monitor various critical health parameters in healthcare facilities, as well as remotely.
Earlier this year, for example, Etisalat and Enayati Home Health Care (a UAE-based Canadian nursing care center) launched a pilot home-monitoring system in Dubai. Developed by Equivital (a British company that focuses on IoT technology), the system will enable Enayati’s healthcare staff to monitor high volumes of physiological data on their patients (collected from patient-body-worn sensors) in real time or retrospectively and to manage their patients remotely.
“The Internet of Things will make available a wealth of health-relevant data that can be used to make informed healthcare decisions,” says Giguashvili.
“Data systems are rather underdeveloped in the region, and critical information is often missing. In the extreme case of rural Africa, community health workers often need to go door-to-door to collect critical data on health-related issues, such as data on immunization statuses. IoT-enabled technologies such as fingerprint-based recognition methods could ease this process significantly.”
“All in all, IoT will dramatically transform healthcare in the region,” continues Giguashvili. “Exciting new applications are rapidly emerging to address the need for care that is affordable, accessible, preventive, and convenient for patients. The so-called ‘Internet of health’ is gaining momentum fast, and the innovation-accelerating impact of IoT on healthcare markets will be massive, ultimately making healthcare more proactive, more convenient, safer, smarter, and simply better.”
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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