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Stakeholders Call on Government Agencies to Embrace Digital Engagement

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*Cross Section of participants at the Forum held in Abuja, recently.
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Stakeholders at a one-day roundtable talk on digital rights and engagement have called on government agencies to fully embrace digital tools in their engagement with the public.

The roundtable, themed “Improving Government’s Approach to Digital Engagement & Rights”, held in Abuja. The event was a product of a partnership between Paradigm Initiative and the Presidency Office of Digital Engagement (PODE).

In his opening keynote, Mr. ‘Gbenga Sesan, the executive director of Paradigm Initiative, emphasised the need for government agencies to fully adopt digital engagement in their communication, while also recognising the need to ensure the protection of citizens’ rights.

“There will always be tension between protecting digital rights and security concerns. However, information sharing can help reduce this tension. By engaging citizens online and providing reliable information, government can reduce the mutual suspicion and tension between her and the citizens,” Sesan said.

Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, and Head of PODE, introduced the framework of a Social Media Policy his office was working on.

“Government has started to ask itself questions on effective ways of sharing information with the public and the media.

For example, “Why should we continue to share paper statement when we can push out the message in a video format? As a government, we need to be open. We need to take information to people where they are and how they want it. This kind of thinking is what is behind the design of this policy and we are consulting stakeholders within government to ensure its effectiveness,” Ogunlesi explained.

“The planned Social Media Policy is built on four pillars – Policy, Engagement, Education and Response (PEER). The Social Media Policy will require all government agencies to maintain social media accounts,” he added. 

An official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Tony Orilade lamented the spate of misinformation and fake news on social media, which further erodes people’s confidence in law enforcement agencies.

The duo of Mr. Abayomi Shogunle, Head, Police Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) and Brigadier General SK Usman, Director, Army Public Relations, echoed Mr. Orilade’s views and called on civil society to actively campaign against misinformation and misrepresentation by some users of digital platform.

Shogunle said, “Rights activists should condemn misinformation with the same vigour they employ in condemning rights abuses.”

While responding to this call, Edet Ojo of Media Rights Action emphasised the need for government agencies to be transparent and forward with information in their bid to neutralise the impact of misinformation about their work. He cautioned agencies against “arresting citizens because they feel their reputation is maligned” as this would only further alienate them from the public.

Mr. Nwoko Paulinus, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Representative, enjoined security agencies to uphold the law and protect the rights of citizens, and not curtail them. Infringing citizens’ rights, he says, “gives the government a bad reputation and hurts its ability to do its job.”

Participants at the roundtable all agreed on the need for greater collaboration and engagement between the Government and law enforcement agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Media and the public.

The Roundtable talk was attended by Mrs Juliet Ibekaku, Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reforms, Mrs Stella Jibrin, Ag. Director (Research and Documentation), Nigerian Press Council, Zakari Mijinyawa, Office of the National Security Adviser, and Lanre Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President. Others include Dr. Idris Yelwa (NITDA), Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Tijah Bolton-Akpan of Policy Alert, and Adebisi Alokolaro of Enough is Enough, Nigeria.


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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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