FG endorses deployment of phase 2 national ICT infrastructure backbone

The Federal Government has given the final approval for the deployment of phase 2 of the National ICT Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) Project of the Federal Secretariats across the country by Galaxy backbone limited.

The phase two of the project has been on-going with Galaxy Backbone Limited which earlier targeted March 2019 for overall completion of the project.

NICTIB is a Federal Government project that is delivered through the Galaxy Backbone and financed with a China EXIM Bank facility.

The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof. Mohammed Bello Abubakar disclosed this when the Emir of Gombe, Alh. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja, adding that the directive was to make sure that fibre cable is taken into the hinterland across the country.

According to Prof. Abubakar, the critical national infrastructure deployed through Galaxy Backbone, the Government ICT services provider, connects all Federal Government secretariat complexes in the FCT and other parts of the country.

‘‘Now, we have linked Lagos to Benin-Onitsha- Owerri-PH-Calabar and Onitsha to Enugu-Makurdi-Akwanga-FCT. This is in addition to provided metro fibre in major cities across the country.

‘‘It is expected to bring economic benefits in line with 4th industrial revolution. In two to three years, we hope that the hinterland will be covered including Gombe state,’’ he added.

He stressed that the project interconnects with undersea fibre cables, provides an e-Government connectivity backbone and broadband Internet.

He affirmed that the Optic Fibre connectivity phase one had since been completed to run from Lagos- Ijebu-Ode-  Ore- Benin-City- Asaba-Onitsha, then From Onitsha-Owerri-PH-Akwa-Ibom-Cross River and from Onitsha –Enugu- Makurdi – Akwanga- Lafia – Abuja.

Phase 2 which is underway will connect an additional 22 cities which will cover the North East and North West states among others.

The Managing Director noted that aside from the NICTIB project,  Galaxy Backbone has been providing for e-Government for seamless services, which resulted into the novel virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC)meeting recently introduced by the Federal government.

It will be recalled that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy had suggested an option of virtual FEC meeting as a way of cushioning the impact of the COVID-19 still ravaging the world economy and the federal government bought into it.

‘‘We provide for e-Government for seamless services. Despite COVId-19, we made sure we provided the government with all needed facilities for the virtual FEC meeting,’’ he said.

In his response, the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III extoled the management of Galaxy Backbone for providing backbone infrastructure to the federal government, all its parastatals and across the country.

The Emir also commended the agency for putting up the edifice at the Federal Capital Territory, which would surely assist the agency meet its set objectives and urged the agency to sustain the effort and ensure that the fibre cable is taken to all nooks and crannies of the country in line with the vision of the present administration to ensure a ubiquitous and seamless voice and data service delivery in Nigeria.