Digital Infrastructure Development: Jigawa state seeks collaboration with Galaxy Backbone
By Blessing Emmanuel, Abuja
At their threshold level of digital transformation, Jigawa State Government has taken a leap by seeking collaboration with Galaxy BackBone (GBB) to enhance what the state is already building as regards digital inclusion and infrastructural development.
During a courtesy visit to the GBB facility in Abuja, on yesterday, the Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, announced that amidst the many plans the State has, partnering with GBB to utilise ICT and help improve the State revenue, is one of the most paramount.
The Governor said, “Well, you see there are so many areas we need to collaborate like I said. We have started this, so it’s not something new to us but we have so many plans that we will want to do, that will help us to improve governance, that will help us to improve our revenue, also to use ICT to improve the livelihood of our people.
“So we have so many areas that we need to collaborate and we have those areas in detail and let me give assurance that they are ready to collaborate with us and ensure we achieve it.”
Speaking to Nigerian NewsDirect, the Managing Director of GBB, Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, expressed gratitude for the Governor’s visit and promised to employ different ways to bring about digital integration across the 36 States in the country, beginning from Jigawa State, which already has an existing equity in the establishment of GBB.
The MD said,: “We, in Galaxy, are ready to see that we have provided this digital inclusion. Starting with Jigawa State, our intention is to cover the 36 states of the Federation so that at the end of the day, we will be fully digital, that means, we will be able to achieve the digital transformation for the whole country as it is. The policies are there and we will try to see that we have made the policies to talk.”
Speaking also, the Technical adviser to the Governor on ICT and Digital Economy, Dr. Rislan Kanya, highlighted that the core essence of the courtesy visit was to set the ball of partnership rolling with GBB, leverage on Galaxies’ guidelines for digital transformation and integration of the State and also to solidify the network of partnership and support from GBB.
“Number one, we are here as stakeholders or shareholders to discuss our engagement with Galaxy and also to set an agenda going forward on how we can actively be part of running and getting the benefit of galaxy.
“Number two, we are here to seek Galaxy’s collaboration towards accelerating our digital transformation plan, already in Jigawa, we have developed five policy instruments and one guideline together with NITDA as well as FCDO, and we don’t want to go through the process of trial and error.
“That’s why we are here to assert our effort. And number three, we are here to also enhance the handshake we already have. And to also leverage on Galaxy’s extended network of partners and support network.”
On partnership with the recently announced blueprint of the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, which centres on digital inclusion, rebuilding infrastructure connectivity and training of three million Nigerians, the MD, said GBB is ready to provide the needed infrastructure and connectivity for the success of the training.
“You see, we are an infrastructure company of the government. Whatever training you will provide if the infrastructure is not there, ultimately, the training will come to naught. So our major value proposition is to provide the connectivity so that these trainings now will come to bear. And of course, as you know, we have several Start-Ups all over and the fact that we also want to train the three million people, we are ready to key into the Honourable Minister’s aspiration and support all what he has come up with and that is the direction to go.”
