Galaxy Backbone: Setting the stage for nationwide govt ICT network
By Everest Amaefule and Jonah Iboma
One of the current challenges in the use of information technology in government in Nigeria today is the fact that various institutions in the three tiers often embark on projects independently.
The development has created a situation where projects are often duplicated and resources wasted. It was once reported that a particular government secretariat had over 15 VSAT installations serving separate ministries. Often, these infrastructure are under-utilised and public funds are wasted in maintenance and support.
But this situation is soon to be a thing of the past, as the Federal Government through the Galaxy Backbone Plc is set to roll out a network that would cater for the information technology and communication needs of government institutions including ministries, departments and agencies
The Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, announced this in Abuja during the two-day “Public Sector ICT Infrastructure Forum” organised by the company in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation last week.
The Federal Executive Council had in 2006 approved the establishment of Galaxy Backbone, as a public firm to consolidate and integrate all the disparate existing government-owned networks into a holistic government-wide network. Prior to this time, various ministries were constantly going top government officials to seek approval to implement IT services.
The need to address the problem made government set up a committee which recommended the setting up of Galaxy Backbone, as an infrastructure firm to deliver such services to government.
In this capacity, the company was mandated to manage all national databases and transversal applications and services for all Federal Government institutions as well as rural communities.
In effect, it will provide data management services, Internet and associated data communications as well as voice telecommunication services deploying Internet Protocol technology.
But the need to extend this service beyond the Federal Government has been heightened as more states and local governments adopt the use of IT for service delivery
Ilukwe said the deployment of these services to government organisations if successfully done, would save tax payers about $70m per annum by 2011. This amount represents what the institutions pay or would have paid in excess to commercial operators for these services.
In a presentation made at the event, the Director General, Department of Home Affairs, South Africa, Mavuso Msimang, noted that his country also had the same problems being faced by Nigerian government institutions today.
According to him, in order to address the problem, the South African government set up what it called the State Information Technology Agency as a private network that focuses primarily on providing effective and efficient information technology products and services to government at the federal, provincial and local government levels.
Iluwke said Galaxy would achieve immediate roll out through two projects – the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone – and the National Information, Communication and Education Programme – which had been integrated into the Galaxy network.
The network rollout has been planned in three phases, Ilukwe said.
While phase one will involve connecting the MDAs and the Federal Secretariat, Abuja ; the second phase will involve the 36 States.
The third phase will involve integrating 5,000 sites in rural communities and third party customers.
Others expected to benefit from the network are Local Government Areas, post offices, state capitals, tertiary institutions, international airports and border posts.
NICEP, which was originally conceived by the merged Ministry of Communications was aimed at Internet service provision, interactive distance learning, telemedicine, virtual private networking, broadcast carrier services, rural telephony and video conferencing services.
Participants, especially from states and local government already see the need for such a network as some of them said they were seeking ways to cut down on the high spending on bandwidth.
Ilukwe said this and other problems could be addressed by Galaxy Backbone, as it was not a profit making firm but a commercial entity that has been set up to address government IT infrastructural challenges
But there are still challenges that need to be surmounted if Galaxy is to achieve its objectives. Currently, while the firm has a vision and capacity to service all tiers of government, its mandate by law does not yet cover this.
This is a point that Ilukwe noted himself. However, the advantages that accrue through the service could sway more government institutions to look in that direction. Also, many states and local government s lack the needed manpower and expertise to make full use of IT. This would mean that a synergy with Galaxy might become imperative.
Also, experts believe that give the South African experience, Nigeria must find ways of ensuring that it moved in that direction.
One of the current challenges in the use of information technology in government in Nigeria today is the fact that various institutions in the three tiers often embark on projects independently.
The development has created a situation where projects are often duplicated and resources wasted. It was once reported that a particular government secretariat had over 15 VSAT installations serving separate ministries. Often, these infrastructure are under-utilised and public funds are wasted in maintenance and support.
But this situation is soon to be a thing of the past, as the Federal Government through the Galaxy Backbone Plc is set to roll out a network that would cater for the information technology and communication needs of government institutions including ministries, departments and agencies
The Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, announced this in Abuja during the two-day “Public Sector ICT Infrastructure Forum” organised by the company in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation last week.
The Federal Executive Council had in 2006 approved the establishment of Galaxy Backbone, as a public firm to consolidate and integrate all the disparate existing government-owned networks into a holistic government-wide network. Prior to this time, various ministries were constantly going top government officials to seek approval to implement IT services.
The need to address the problem made government set up a committee which recommended the setting up of Galaxy Backbone, as an infrastructure firm to deliver such services to government.
In this capacity, the company was mandated to manage all national databases and transversal applications and services for all Federal Government institutions as well as rural communities.
In effect, it will provide data management services, Internet and associated data communications as well as voice telecommunication services deploying Internet Protocol technology.
But the need to extend this service beyond the Federal Government has been heightened as more states and local governments adopt the use of IT for service delivery
Ilukwe said the deployment of these services to government organisations if successfully done, would save tax payers about $70m per annum by 2011. This amount represents what the institutions pay or would have paid in excess to commercial operators for these services.
In a presentation made at the event, the Director General, Department of Home Affairs, South Africa, Mavuso Msimang, noted that his country also had the same problems being faced by Nigerian government institutions today.
According to him, in order to address the problem, the South African government set up what it called the State Information Technology Agency as a private network that focuses primarily on providing effective and efficient information technology products and services to government at the federal, provincial and local government levels.
Iluwke said Galaxy would achieve immediate roll out through two projects – the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone – and the National Information, Communication and Education Programme – which had been integrated into the Galaxy network.
The network rollout has been planned in three phases, Ilukwe said.
While phase one will involve connecting the MDAs and the Federal Secretariat, Abuja ; the second phase will involve the 36 States.
The third phase will involve integrating 5,000 sites in rural communities and third party customers.
Others expected to benefit from the network are Local Government Areas, post offices, state capitals, tertiary institutions, international airports and border posts.
NICEP, which was originally conceived by the merged Ministry of Communications was aimed at Internet service provision, interactive distance learning, telemedicine, virtual private networking, broadcast carrier services, rural telephony and video conferencing services.
Participants, especially from states and local government already see the need for such a network as some of them said they were seeking ways to cut down on the high spending on bandwidth.
Ilukwe said this and other problems could be addressed by Galaxy Backbone, as it was not a profit making firm but a commercial entity that has been set up to address government IT infrastructural challenges
But there are still challenges that need to be surmounted if Galaxy is to achieve its objectives. Currently, while the firm has a vision and capacity to service all tiers of government, its mandate by law does not yet cover this.
This is a point that Ilukwe noted himself. However, the advantages that accrue through the service could sway more government institutions to look in that direction. Also, many states and local government s lack the needed manpower and expertise to make full use of IT. This would mean that a synergy with Galaxy might become imperative.
Also, experts believe that give the South African experience, Nigeria must find ways of ensuring that it moved in that direction.
Comments