Niger State teams up with Galaxy Plc on NICEP

In line with the commitment of the Niger State government, the executive governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu has endorsed a teaming up of the state with the federal government infrastructure backbone company, the Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Plc through the National Information, Communication and Education Programme (NICEP) projects.

NICEP is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy intervention by the Federal Government targeted at the realization of its e-governance and Millennium Development Goals’ objectives.

Equally NICEP project is designed to deploy about 5000 Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) nodes all around the country including Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA), the 36 state capitals and 774 local government areas.

The NICEP project promises to provide the benefits of ICT to all areas of the country, particularly hard-to-reach areas and underserved communities, connected directly to the NICEP national operations centre in Abuja.

Corporate Communications, Manager at Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Franklyn Ginger-Eke, said in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that the partnership would centre on the vision to make Niger State one of the three best economies in Nigeria, especially in the areas of education, science and technology as well as agriculture by 2020.

Commenting, Gov. Aliyu expressed willingness to partner with Galaxy Backbone Plc towards the achievement of the socio-economic development of the state.

Speaking through the State Commissioner for Science & Technology, Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf Gunu, during a courtesy visit to Galaxy Plc in Abuja, said that the Niger State Government would form a credible partnership with GBB on the NICEP based on its belief that the adoption of ICTs and its benefits is the only way the state could remain relevant and a key player in support of the national efforts of making Nigeria one of the 20 top economies in the world by 2020.

According to him, the partnership is part of the overall vision of becoming an e-compliant society by leveraging opportunities represented in the 5,000 VSAT-nodes NICEP Project currently being rolled out nationwide by Galaxy.

Welcoming the guest, Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, said that the visit is a confirmation that the Dr. Aliyu’s administration is a government that matches words with deeds.

He recalled that Aliyu as the Special Guest of Honour at the 1st Public Sector ICT Infrastructure Forum organized by Galaxy Backbone Plc recently was represented by the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Science & Technology and had pledged that the resolutions of the forum would form a major platform for the implementation of the ICT policy initiatives of the state government.

Ilukwe also said that Galaxy Backbone’s business objectives are focused in four main areas namely Technology 4 Governance which deals with Government to Government interactions at the federal or state levels; Technology 4 Revenue which concerns using ICTs for revenue generation, payment of taxes, budget performance monitoring, reliable statistics for planning and so on; Technology 4 Education which involves delivering qualitative education especially at Tertiary and Secondary levels and Technology 4 Development which focuses on community development.

He pledged his company’s readiness to work with the government of Niger State for the attainment of the socio-economic development of the state and its people.


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