E-Business
Microsoft Unveils Office 365 ProPlus Benefit

Last week, a Microsoft in Education Global Forum was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This Forum was important for many reasons – first and foremost, to highlight the achievements of some amazing teachers and schools in the Middle East, Africa and India.
The 450 educators and leaders we met at the event were integrating technology in their classrooms in fresh ways, and making a big difference in a region where access to quality education can be especially inconsistent, and where preparation for the workforce is key to competitiveness, stability and economic growth.
These Microsoft Innovative Educators and Showcase Schools represented 35 countries in the region. They were joined by government leaders, inspiring speakers and top Microsoft Education technology partners including Intel, Dell, Promethean, All Prints, Sayegh, McGraw Hill and ITWorx Education – all with a common goal: to make the technology needed for college and career readiness available to as many students as possible.
To that end, Anthony Salcito, vice president, Worldwide Education, Microsoft said he was proud to represent Microsoft in announcing the global expansion of our ground-breaking Office 365 ProPlus Benefit, which is already providing millions of students and teachers with the powerful capabilities of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Access on up to five PCs or Macs and mobile devices — including Android, iPad and Windows tablets.
Now, millions more deserving teachers and their students at eligible schools can download – at no cost – this business-class productivity platform.
For education leaders gathered at the Dubai Global Forum, the proPlus benefit is a game changer. According to Mohammed Gheyath, director general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme, “We’ve chosen Microsoft for its ability to provide end-to-end solutions that meet all our needs and for helping us to crystallize the UAE’s vision and the objectives of the Ministry of Education for a high quality education system.
“From innovative, secured devices and best-in-class productivity to collaboration apps and comprehensive management capabilities, Microsoft has shown great commitment to empowering our youth with a balanced set of skills required in today’s very competitive work environment.”
Bringing the Office 365 ProPlus benefit to the world narrows the opportunity gap between those who have access to the skills and training they need to be successful, and those who do not.
This helps to tackle the growing problem of youth unemployment, and along with programs like Microsoft’s YouthSpark, it represents a significant step in reversing the inequality that results in so many of mankind’s most pressing problems.
Microsoft is committed to transforming education around the globe. Providing a platform like the Global Forum to recognize and reward progress is an important part of that commitment.
But at the end of the day, transformation at scale requires the broad distribution of critical resources and tools like Office 365, so that every community and every school has what they need to prepare students for the challenges of a competitive global marketplace.
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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