THE Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, state governments, the private sector and development partners to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation.

It said deeper partnerships are essential to unlocking the country’s digital economy and creating new opportunities for economic growth, innovation and improved public service delivery.

The call was made yesterday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, at the Digital Transformation Summit organised by Galaxy Backbone in Abuja as part of activities marking the organisation’s 20th anniversary.

Akume said Nigeria’s future economic competitiveness, public service delivery and national prosperity would increasingly depend on how effectively technology is deployed, stressing that digital transformation must become a shared national project.

“The future of governments will be digital. The future of economic competitiveness will be digital. The future of public service delivery will be digital,” the SGF said.

He noted that while significant investments had been made in digital infrastructure over the years, greater cooperation among stakeholders was required to translate those investments into tangible benefits for citizens and businesses.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises technology as a catalyst for national development, transparency, inclusion and economic growth.

Akume described Galaxy Backbone as a critical national asset that has evolved over the last two decades into a trusted provider of digital infrastructure, connectivity, cloud services, cybersecurity capabilities and shared platforms supporting government operations nationwide.

He said powering Nigeria’s digital future would require more than ambition, noting that infrastructure, innovation, institutional capacity and strategic partnerships were critical to achieving meaningful transformation.

The SGF urged state governments and public institutions to take advantage of the infrastructure and expertise already available through Galaxy Backbone and its ecosystem of private-sector partners.

“The transformation we seek cannot be achieved by the federal government alone,” he said, adding that states and local governments remain at the frontline of governance and service delivery.

He therefore called for stronger adoption of digital solutions and closer collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of digital transformation reach every level of government.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said digital transformation had become a major determinant of economic growth and national competitiveness across the world.

“Today, we are gathered not merely to discuss technology. We are here to discuss the future of Nigeria,” he said.

Adeyanju noted that advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data management and digital platforms were reshaping economies globally, prompting countries to invest heavily in digital infrastructure.

He said Nigeria was well-positioned to benefit from the digital revolution because of its large population, youthful workforce and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

According to him, digital transformation should no longer be viewed solely as a technology agenda but as an economic, governance and nation-building imperative.

The Galaxy Backbone chief said the organisation had over the years supported government institutions through the provision of secure cloud services, connectivity infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions and digital platforms that improve public service delivery.

He stressed that the next phase of Nigeria’s digital journey would require deeper collaboration among government institutions, businesses, academia, innovators and development partners.

“It requires us to think beyond individual institutions and embrace a connected ecosystem where government, private sector, development partners, academia, innovators and citizens work together to create lasting value,” he said.

Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said digitalisation had become central to ongoing reforms aimed at making government more efficient, transparent, accountable and citizen-centred.

She disclosed that all 38 ministries and extra-ministerial departments successfully digitalised their work processes before the December 2025 deadline set by the Federal Civil Service.

According to her, the move has improved efficiency, reduced bureaucratic delays, strengthened record management and enhanced institutional memory across government offices.

Walson-Jack said Galaxy Backbone had played a strategic role in supporting the reforms through its iGovernment Cloud platform, GovMail services, secure connectivity infrastructure and other digital solutions.

She revealed that more than 115,000 active official GovMail accounts are currently in use across the public service, helping to ensure secure and traceable government communication.

The Head of Service also highlighted the growing adoption of Service-Wise GPT, a home-grown artificial intelligence platform developed to provide civil servants and members of the public with quick access to public service information.

She said the platform had already recorded more than 50,000 conversations, demonstrating a growing acceptance of digital tools across the public service.