By Ahmed Rahma
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, has tasked the management and members of staff of Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited on rapid innovation and customer relations, urging the organisation to put their customers first.
Mr Patami, speaking at a four-day retreat for members of staff of GBB on Tuesday, said he hopes that after the retreat, he firm will adopt the exploration, rather than exploitation approach in its long-term critical thinking.
“I will like to encourage all the management team of Galaxy Backbone to support the Managing Director to ensure that GBB continues to make innovations such that the perceived and yet to be perceived needs of the customer come first.
“It is my hope that after this retreat, GBB will adopt the exploration, rather than exploitation approach in its long-term critical thinking, to set the nation on a new branded Galaxy Backbone,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of GBB, Prof. Muhammad Abubakar, described the Minister’s presence at the retreat as a commitment to the digitalisation of Nigeria and belief in GBB’s capability to provide digital services to government institutions, as well as its ability to deliver on the implementation of the Digital transformation drive of Nigeria.
He pointed out that the minister had set the policy direction for GBB through the Digital Economy Policy and Strategy document, hence the need for the management retreat to strategise on how to execute it.
He highlighted the great achievements of GBB in the past one year and recognised that the successes made were great because of the support of the ministry.
According to him, Galaxy Backbone has in the last one year, with the support of the minister, risen to the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic by providing digital and network communication services to federal government offices.
Mr Abubakar promised that he would continue to do everything within his capacity to ensure that GBB’s internal and external stakeholders and customers received improved and committed digital services and make GBB ICT service provider of choice.
Appreciating the staff for their efforts in the development of the organisation, he described them as the organisation’s assets.
Mr Abubakar noted that the retreat deliberated on a five-year business plan is anchored on six strategic pillars of government policies which are, Data Sovereignty; Financial Sustainability; Customer Satisfaction; Operational Excellence, Improved Capacity and Capability.
According to him, adequate initiatives and strategies have been developed around these pillars to ensure GBB provides effective, efficient and reliable high-speed connectivity services across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), of government and the country at large.
He also said that this would help in deepening broadband penetration and adding greater value for a digital Nigeria and beyond, saying the vision of GBB remained “to become a leading enabler of digital inclusion for Africa.”
He stated that in the next few years (2021-2025), the services of Galaxy Backbone would be driven by excellence and a customer-centric mindset.
