Ericsson and Galaxy Backbone, the government’s Information and Communications Technology shared services provider in Nigeria, have agreed to a partnership to design and deploy ICT-based solutions and services supporting the delivery of efficient public service in the country.
According to them, the partnership is in keeping with the Nigerian government’s commitment to leverage ICT for job creation, improved security, economic diversification and social inclusion.
It also supports the Minister of Communication’s vision to deploy e-Government as a tool to improve governance and efficiency in the public service.
The Chief Executive Officer, Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure, said, “The transformative role of ICT for improved delivery of public service has become quite significant. In Nigeria, Galaxy is at the forefront in terms of the provision of the infrastructure and services that empower Ministries, Departments and Agencies to achieve their mandate through better service delivery to the citizens they serve.”
Under the terms of the partnership, spanning three years, Ericsson will serve as advisor, systems integrator and implementation partner for ICT-based solutions and services covering the transport, utility and safety and security sectors.
Ericsson will also manage all deployed solutions and services, while building capacity within Galaxy Backbone and ensuring that all deployments are eventually handed over to the government along with selected private sector players.
The Head of Ericsson Nigeria, Johan Jemdahl, said, “A recent report by Ericsson and the Earth Institute at Columbia University on the impact of ICT on sustainable development calls on governments to harness technology, investment and new types of partnerships to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“This partnership with Galaxy Backbone touches upon all of these criteria and places Nigeria on a clear path towards meeting the needs of a growing economy using ICT. This partnership also supports our vision of building a networked society in Nigeria and we are excited to be partnering Galaxy Backbone on this journey.”
He said that upon the finalisation of scoping the required solutions, all involved parties would jointly agree on the investment business models that best suit what is required to roll out the new vision.
“Additionally, the inclusion of outside participation from third party investors will be discussed and finalised,” Jemdahl added.
