Telecom
Prof. Adeyanju is Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Backbone for a Connected Future in Two Years of Purposeful Leadership
Two years ago, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), appointed a new Executive Management Team at Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and this marked a defining moment in Nigeria’s digital evolution.
Today, as the organisation marks the second anniversary of the appointment of four distinguished Nigerians; Prof. Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Honourable Olusegun Olulade, Executive Director Customer Centricity and Marketing, Muhammed Sani Ibrahim; Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services and Olumbe Akinkugbe, Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services to Galaxy Backbone Limited, the story is not one of rhetoric, but of infrastructure strengthened, partnerships deepened, and national capability measurably advanced.
From the onset, the mandate was clear: to anchor Nigeria’s digital transformation on secure, sovereign infrastructure while improving service delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
The Executive team immediately aligned execution with strategy through the launch of the Integrated Digital Transformation Strategy (IDTS) 2023 to 2028. The focus evolved from simply providing connectivity to leading a digital ecosystem that integrates infrastructure, platforms, policy alignment, value creation, and people.
Within two years, Galaxy Backbone significantly expanded national digital access. Broadband connectivity was delivered to nine underserved Local Government Areas under Project 774, extending inclusion to communities previously beyond reliable access.
Fibre-to-Hostel projects were completed at the University of Lagos, University of Abuja, and University of Jos, strengthening academic research and digital learning environments. Connectivity to strategic national assets, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and key Federal Secretariats, was enhanced to improve operational efficiency and service reliability.
In a major step toward long-term resilience, GBB executed strategic business partnership with one of Africa’s leading provider of inter-connected carrier scale digital Infrastructure Companies, West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), reinforcing Nigeria’s national fibre backbone, improving redundancy, and enabling scalable broadband expansion across more states and underserved communities.
This strategic move significantly strengthened the country’s digital resilience architecture.
Beyond infrastructure expansion, the leadership deepened Nigeria’s sovereign digital capabilities. The 1Government Cloud platform was optimized and expanded to support more MDAs with operational efficiency, secure hosting and shared services.
GovMail, a locally developed email solution by GBB, for Federal Government Public and Civil Servants was birthed and today is enhancing trusted government communication for over 100,000 professionals currently on the platform. Cybersecurity posture was reinforced through 24/7 monitoring and strengthened controls, while colocation services and data centre operations were upgraded for greater resilience. Under this leadership, GBB’s Service desk now operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
The deployment of Government as a Platform (GaaP) framework, improvements to the Government Service Portal, ISO recertification milestones and the implementation of an Integrated Management System (IMS) further institutionalized governance, accountability, and operational excellence.
The journey has not been without challenges. Fiscal constraints, legacy systems, increasing cyber threats, and rising expectations for digital public services required decisive leadership.
Through disciplined financial management, strategic partnerships, stronger stakeholder engagement, and operational reforms, the Executive Management stabilised systems, improved service quality, and positioned Galaxy Backbone as a trusted enabler of public sector transformation.
Support from the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Dr. George Akume who chairs the GBB Board, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson Jack and other top Government leaders across the arms of Government, have all been instrumental in aligning policy direction with execution momentum, ensuring that national priorities translate into tangible digital outcomes.
Over the past two years, Galaxy Backbone has earned over 20 reputable recognitions, including the NET5.5G Pioneer Award, the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Award, the Overall Winner award at the Nigeria @ 65 Independence Kitty, the BPSR Website Performance Award, and Best ICT Provider Company of the Year at the International Standard Excellence Awards and so on. GBB’s MD/CEO, Prof. Adeyanju has also been named as one of the top 100 leading Personalities in the Telecoms Industry in Nigeria.
These honours reflect not just institutional visibility, but measurable transformation in governance standards, infrastructure resilience, and service delivery impact.
Two years on, Galaxy Backbone stands stronger — not merely as an infrastructure provider, but as a strategic custodian of Nigeria’s sovereign digital backbone.
With clarity of vision, disciplined execution, and sustained collaboration across government, the organisation continues to deepen connectivity, strengthen cybersecurity, expand cloud sovereignty, and build a resilient digital foundation for national development.
The progress achieved affirms a simple truth: purposeful leadership, aligned with national vision and supported by strategic partnerships, can translate ambition into enduring capability. Galaxy Backbone remains committed to powering a secure, connected, and digitally enabled Nigeria for generations to come.
ntel, has officially moved away from its traditional voice and data business, unveiling a major transformation that will see it focus on digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and technology-driven services.
As part of the consolidation process, ntel unveiled The Next Frontier, a transformation agenda planned to see the firm transform into an integrated digital infrastructure, connectivity and real estate enterprise.
Its new focus is a now BET Agenda – anchored on three growth pillars, Beam, Eden, and Titan and the drivers said that the strategy reflected ntel’s commitment to creating new opportunities through technology innovation, infrastructure development, and strategic asset optimisation.
The launch comes as ntel continues its journey towards regaining spectrum assets, while actively leveraging strategic partnerships to redefine innovation in the telecommunications industry and unlock new pathways for growth.
Built on the company’s BET Agenda – anchored on three growth pillars, Beam, Eden, and Titan – the strategy reflected ntel’s commitment to creating new opportunities through technology innovation, infrastructure development, and strategic asset optimisation.
The launch comes as ntel continues its journey towards regaining spectrum assets, while actively leveraging strategic partnerships to redefine innovation in the telecommunications industry and unlock new pathways for growth.
The company also showcased a portfolio of initiatives designed to strengthen its position as a future-focused infrastructure platform.
Under Beam, ntel announced the launch of WakaGo, a global e-SIM solution that delivers seamless connectivity for international travellers, alongside AirFibre, a high-speed fixed wireless broadband service designed to provide reliable internet access for businesses.
Under Titan, the company highlighted its growing infrastructure business focused on tower development, fibre connectivity, duct infrastructure, colocation services, and infrastructure sharing solutions that enable operators, enterprises, and technology providers to expand efficiently and sustainably.
A major highlight of the launch was Eden, ntel’s real estate development platform, which is transforming NatCom’s extensive property portfolio into high-value commercial and residential developments.
To further push its transformation, the company unveiled three flagship projects. They are Eden Place, a premium multi-storey commercial development in Lagos’ prime business district.
There is also Nova Place, a modern commercial development strategically located within Port Harcourt’s growing technology and business hub.
Terenna Court, a premium multi-storey residential apartment development in Abuja.
Together, these projects demonstrate ntel’s ambition to unlock the full potential of its real estate assets through strategic partnerships, innovative design, and long-term value creation.
Speaking at the unveiling of The Next Frontier, Soji Maurice-Diya, managing director/chief executive officer, NatCom Development and Investment Limited (trading as ntel), described the initiative as far more than a business transformation strategy.
According to him, it represents the company’s commitment to building an integrated ecosystem that connects people, empowers businesses, drives digital inclusion, and creates sustainable economic value for Nigeria.
Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Nigeria’s future workforce with a high-impact virtual masterclass designed to equip young people with the practical skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The Initiative, held to commemorate World Youth Skills Day 2026, themed “Skills for a Shared Future – The NextGen Advantage,” presented a platform on which experienced Airtel professionals provided mentorship and coaching to undergraduates, interns, and recent graduates for the current realities of formal work environments.
Organised on the auspices of the Airtel Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP), by which staff donate their time and expertise towards social programmes, the 90-minute virtual masterclass, which was attended by over 400 undergraduates and young professionals, extended the reach of the Foundation’s education and youth development programmes.
Speaking on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said investing in young people remains one of the most impactful ways to build Nigeria’s future economy.
He said, “The future of work is changing faster than ever before, and success will increasingly belong to those who are equipped with the right skills, the right mindset, and the confidence to adapt. As an organisation, we believe that empowering young people with practical digital and professional capabilities is an investment in Nigeria’s future competitiveness.
Through our Employee Volunteer Programme, our people are sharing not just knowledge, but real industry experience to help shape careers, unlock opportunities, and prepare the next generation to lead in a digital world.”
Unlike traditional career seminars, the masterclass adopted an interactive learning model that offered participants the option to select specialised breakout sessions aligned with personal interests and career aspirations.
In his keynote remarks titled The Next Gen Advantage, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, noted that the future will be shaped by the skills to transform great ideas into impactful solutions.
He summed up the pathway to a future-ready career into five actions, namely learning continuously, solving problems, building a digital reputation, embracing Artificial Intelligence, and developing human skills.
“Technical knowledge remains important, but employers today are equally looking for adaptability, collaboration, communication, digital confidence, and the ability to learn continuously,” he said.
In the first general session titled Your Network is Your Net Worth, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias, Director, Human Resources and Administration, Airtel Nigeria, charged attendees to build character. The second general session themed Your Money, Your Future, delivered tips on budgeting and financial discipline was facilitated by Olakunbi Osigbesan, Head, Treasure, Smartcash PSB.
Following the general sessions were five breakout rooms, in which attendees were offered curated guides designed to develop contemporary workplace competencies.
The first session, Digital Transformation and Growth, led by Oyebowale Akideinde, General Manager, Digital and Innovation, Airtel Nigeria, presented a mechanism to leverage digital platforms for visibility and opportunity creation.
The CV Clinic and Interview Masterclass, which was led by Chidera Okoye, HR Outsourcing Lead, Airtel Nigeria, discussed practical recruitment strategies, including applicant tracking system (ATS)-friendly CVs, and the STAR interview framework.
A third session on Communication and Personal Branding, delivered by Sam Adeoye, Head, Public Relations, Airtel Nigeria, focused on value presentation, executive communication, and earned visibility, built on “V.I.R.A.L.”, a mnemonic device created for the attendees by the facilitator.
The programme also featured a dedicated session titled AI as Your Superpower, presented by Ezenwa Agbanusi, IT Governance Executive at Airtel Nigeria, in which participants discussed prompt engineering and AI-powered tools for enhanced learning, creativity, and workplace performance.
Corporate Social Responsibility Lead at Airtel Nigeria, Victoria Ndu, led the fifth breakout room on Emotional Intelligence, with a guide on building a high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) for improved workplace and business performance.
By connecting future professionals directly with industry experts, the company continues to support the development of a workforce equipped to participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy and contribute to shared prosperity.
U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber has agreed to acquire German food delivery company Delivery Hero in a deal valued at €12.7 billion ($14.6 billion), marking one of the largest transactions in the global food delivery industry.
Uber
The companies announced the agreement on Thursday, with Uber offering €41.50 per share for Delivery Hero, a Berlin-based company that has grown into one of the world’s largest online food delivery platforms.
Despite the announcement, Delivery Hero’s shares declined by 0.5 per cent in Frankfurt trading to €37.90.
Founded in 2011, Delivery Hero operates in more than 60 markets across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
The company has expanded beyond traditional restaurant delivery services into quick commerce, providing rapid delivery of groceries and other consumer goods.
Under the agreement, Uber will acquire Delivery Hero’s operations in 50 markets globally.
As part of the transaction, U.S.-based investment firm SSW Partners will acquire Delivery Hero’s businesses in 14 additional markets where the German company and Uber currently compete. The transaction is valued at approximately €1.4 billion.
Delivery Hero Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Niklas Östberg, said the partnership would strengthen the company’s long-term growth by combining its local market expertise with Uber’s global technology and delivery platform.
“Uber’s global mobility and delivery platform and our shared commitment to innovation make this the right partnership to build on Delivery Hero’s strengths in local food delivery and quick commerce,” Östberg said.
Uber Chief Executive Officer, Dara Khosrowshahi, said the acquisition would expand the company’s delivery operations while creating new opportunities for merchants, consumers and delivery workers.
“A merger would extend affordable, reliable delivery to many millions more people in some of the world’s most dynamic economies, while creating more opportunities for merchants and couriers,” he said.
Delivery Hero’s management has unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the offer.
The companies said the transaction remains subject to shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, with completion expected in the second half of 2027.
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