Galaxy Backbone needs N35bn for effective Internet services in Nigeria: CEO

*To provide Internet connectivity services at a minimum Broadband speed of 2 mbps to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria as mandated will require funding in excess of N35 billion  ─Prof. Mohammad Abubakar, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As a strategy to enable the agency to compete with other business outfits in the information and communications technology industry, Galaxy Backbone Limited has said N35 billion is required for effective Internet service at two megabytes per second (mbps) for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Prof. Mohammad Abubakar, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, disclosed this Thursday, March 4, in Abuja, FCT, when the Joint Committee of the National Assembly (NASS) on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and Cybersecurity visited the company on oversight, Daily Trust report said.

High-speed Broadband Internet Concept

The Galaxy Backbone Managing Director said the National Assembly should make laws that would enable the agency to compete with other business outfits that provide the same services with them.

Abubakar stated: “To provide connectivity services at a minimum broadband speed of 2mbps to all MDAs nationwide as mandated, funding in excess of 35 billion Naira will be required, while more than 200 billion Naira will be required for broadband connectivity at National Broadband Plan (NBP) recommended speed.”

However, he noted that bureaucracy had hindered the firm from competing with private firms despite its sophisticated equipment.

Senator Yakubu Useni and Hon. Abubakar Lado, Co-Chairmen of the NASS Joint Committee on Information, Communication and Technology and Cybersecurity, in a statement said: “What we have seen today (Thursday) has corrected lots of the misconceptions we initially had about the operations of Galaxy Backbone.

“With the revelations coming out of this oversight exercise, we all need to play as a matter of urgency in ensuring that Galaxy Backbone is supported financially in making this dream a reality.”