President Bola Tinubu (left) and MD,Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju.
By Anietie Akpan
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) under the Sovereign Digitalisation Programme 1Government Cloud, has commenced the full-scale rollout of paperless governance.
Pioneering this landmark initiative are key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) including the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy; Ministry of Solid Minerals; Ministry of Steel Development; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Federal Ministry of Justice; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; and the Federal Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairsamong others soon to follow.
This milestone underscores Nigeria’s commitment to modernizing public service delivery, strengthening data sovereignty, and aligning with global best practices in digital governance.
Programme Director of the 1Government Cloud, Mr. Wumi Oghoetuoma, emphasized that the project is designed to drive efficiency and transparency in governance.
“The paperless governance initiative will eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks by streamlining approvals and inter-agency communication. It will significantly cut costs associated with printing, storage, and distribution of physical files, while enhancing transparency and accountability in public service delivery,” Oghoetuoma said.
He further noted that the programme enhances the security of sensitive government documents through encrypted digital storage and accelerates decision-making across MDAs.
“With MDAs uniting under a single vision to improve service delivery one of the key performance indicators of the Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda,Nigeria is laying the foundation for a seamless digital government ecosystem,” he added.
According to him, the mandate of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 2025 is clear and achievable. He commended the Office of the HCSF for adopting a phased approach that prioritizes staff training and optimized IT infrastructure as prerequisites for large-scale adoption.
Speaking at the rollout, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, described the initiative as a “strategic shift” in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
“With 1Gov, Nigeria is entering a new era of governance faster decision-making, more secure documentation, and ultimately, better services for citizens. This is about building a government that is smart, responsive, and globally competitive,” Adeyanju said.
A senior civil servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who requested anonymity, highlighted the platform’s importance for Nigeria’s diplomacy. He noted that adopting a sovereign platform will “strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic communication systems and enhance the country’s ability to respond swiftly to international engagements.”
Powered by Galaxy Backbone, the 1Government Cloud is Nigeria’s flagship sovereign digital governance framework. It consolidates and standardizes the digital tools required for a modern, secure, and paperless government.
The Key Features of
GovDrive Secure digital file management with advanced encryption and sovereign cloud-based storage accessible nationwide.
GovECMS is a sovereign Enterprise Content Management System for automating the workflow of all departmental standard operating procedures and inter-MDA dependencies.
While GovMail is a sovereign email system for secure, government,only communication across MDAs.
GovE-Sign: Legally recognized electronic signatures to replace physical approvals and accelerate decision-making.
GovConference : Encrypted, sovereign video and audio conferencing to facilitate secure inter-ministerial collaboration.
GovOTP : One-Time Password and identity authentication to protect access to critical government systems.
GovAsset Management: Unified registry and monitoring of government assets to improve accountability and lifecycle management.
GovCollaboration Tools: Integrated chat, workflow, and document-sharing features for seamless inter-agency teamwork.
By combining these tools, the 1Gov platform ensures that communication, collaboration, and decision-making remain sovereign, efficient, and transparent.
With this rollout, Nigeria joins the ranks of nations adopting smart government solutions to enhance governance and service delivery.
The successful implementation in the pioneer MDAs sets the stage for nationwide transformation,paving the way for a truly digital economy and a sovereign, paperless government.
