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New IDC Government Insights TechScape Examines Role of Robotics in Government

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The potential to apply autonomous or semi-autonomous machines to enhance the safety, precision, and efficiency of government services, particularly in defense and intelligence, public safety, surveying, and inspection, is extremely significant.

Nevertheless, the early stages of development research around full automation of task control capabilities and battery sustainability, in addition to ethical and legal concerns, make the prospect of widespread deployment of robotics in government distant in time.

To help government executives identify potential benefits and challenges of adopting robotics technology, IDC Government Insights has published, IDC TechScape: Robotics in Government, 2015 (Doc #EMEA40990416).

The new report was created to highlight opportunities and risks, so that executives can start to consider robots in their long-term capital investment roadmaps as safe and more efficient methods of mission delivery.

The alignment of 3rd Platform technologies, advances in applied science fields (such as mechanical/chemical engineering), and the evolving business, social, political, and legal frameworks within which technologies are applied, are laying the foundation for a new round of disruptive innovation accelerators.

These disruptive innovation accelerators include robotics, natural interfaces, 3D printing, Internet of Things, cognitive systems, and next generation security.

However, out of these innovation accelerators, robotics could possibly have the most long-term potential to impact human culture overall.

This is a new area of interest in many government domains, ranging from defense and intelligence, to public safety, agriculture, environmental protection, and public transportation.

In the new report, IDC Government Insights asserts:
Defense, intelligence, public security and public safety departments should consider themselves as early adopters.

Governments will need to plan for training and education for developers and operators in addition to implementing awareness campaigns that educate the public on the benefits of deploying robots.

Governments using or planning to buy robots should engage with external stakeholders to explore the general safety, privacy, financial, technical, and ethical issues of robotics.

Unlike other technology assessment frameworks, the IDC TechScape provides a visual representation of the process of technology adoption, dividing technologies into three major categories — transformational, incremental, and opportunistic — based on their impact on the organization, and then assessing their relative maturity within their respective categories.

In addition to reviewing specific, individual categories, this IDC TechScape provides insights regarding the speed of adoption, technology potential for success (risk), and industry market buzz.

The five broad categories of robots, intended as mechanical artificial agents, analyzed include:
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): also known as unmanned aerial systems or, more commonly, drones.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs): autonomous and semi-autonomous cars, trucks, trains, boats and other self-moving vehicles.

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV):underwater machines controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot.

Exoskeletons, also known as exoframes, or exosuits (EXOs): mobile machines consisting of an outer framework, worn by a person, and powered by a system of motors that assist the wearer through enhancing their strength and endurance.

Humanoid robots (HUMs): these are autonomous or semi-autonomous machines with their shape, or part of it, built to resemble the human body and replicate its functions.
The categories that define the three types of adoption curves in an IDC TechScape are:

• Transformational: Disruptive technologies that are likely to be next generational based on their potential to fundamentally transform current industry best practices.

Covered technologies and use cases include: UAV – Public Security – Reconnaissance; UAV – Defense and intelligence – Combat; UAV – Transportation of personnel and supplies; HUM – Disaster response.

• Incremental: Technologies that represent current industry best practices.

Covered technologies and use cases include: UAV – Defense and intelligence – Reconnaissance; UAV – Civilian agencies – surveying and inspections; AV – Transportation of people and supplies; UUV – Reconnaissance; EXO – Defense and intelligence – Combat; HUM – Surveying, inspection and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

• Opportunistic: Technologies that contribute to industry progress but are not considered integral to current best practices.

Covered technologies and use cases include: EXO – Surveying, inspection and MRO; UUV – Surveying, inspection and MRO.

According to Massimiliano Claps, Associate Vice President, IDC Government Insights in EMEA, “Governments will soon start to include in their technology roadmap key milestones of collaboration with academia and industry and will continue to invest in R&D to build robots that, in 15 to 20 years, can step into a world built for humans and perform a variety of tasks, from routine ones to lifesaving ones, in dangerous and hazardous situations.”‎


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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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.


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Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity

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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.”


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Galaxy Backbone Tops FG’s Website Performance Ranking

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.

Galaxy Backbone Tops FG's Website Performance Ranking

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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