When President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone in February 2024, the federal shared-services provider signalled a clear tilt towards technical depth and institutional reform.
Galaxy Backbone, the federal government’s ICT infrastructure and shared-services company is charged with providing secure connectivity, data centre services and digital platforms for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) across Nigeria.
Prof. Adeyanju assumes leadership at a pivotal moment. While MDAs increasingly turn to private providers for agility and cost efficiency, the Federal Government seeks to strengthen a sovereign and secure digital infrastructure capable of supporting e-Government services and national resilience.
In recognition of this ongoing transformation, Galaxy Backbone was recently honoured with the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider Company of the Year” during the World Standards Day Celebration, held in Abuja.
“This award is a strong endorsement of our operational excellence, professionalism, and innovative spirit,” said Prof. Adeyanju. “It reflects the confidence that our partners, stakeholders, and clients have in Galaxy Backbone’s capacity to drive secure and sustainable digital transformation in Nigeria and beyond.”
About Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju
A scholar turned technocrat, the Ogbomoso-born professor represents a rare convergence of academic excellence, research depth, and executive leadership in Nigeria’s technology landscape.
His rise to become Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Limited was not a sudden leap, but the result of years of patient progression through academia, research, and public sector innovation.
His academic journey began at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), where he earned a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Computer Engineering in 2004. The scholar would later return to the same university as a Lecturer, shaping young minds in the field of computing and digital systems.
Eager to push the boundaries of his field, he proceeded to The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Computing Information Engineering (2006–2007) and subsequently a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Computing (2007–2011).
From Academia to National Leadership
On his return to Nigeria, Prof. Adeyanju joined the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), where he rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Computing and later Director of Quality Assurance.
The distinguished educator’s transition from academia to public sector leadership came naturally. At Galaxy Backbone, he first served as Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services, a role that allowed him to combine his scholarly expertise with strategic national ICT development.
His leadership in digital exploration, infrastructure deployment, and technology standardisation laid the groundwork for his eventual appointment as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Today, as MD/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, the professor of computing is not just managing infrastructure, experts say he is architecting Nigeria’s digital public service future.
That conviction continues to define both his leadership and the evolving story of Galaxy Backbone, a company whose name, under his guidance, has become synonymous with Nigeria’s digital transformation.
About Galaxy Backbone
Established in 2006, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) was conceived as the Information Technology and Shared Services Provider of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In its early years, Galaxy Backbone focused on connecting government offices in Abuja through its Federal Capital Metro Fibre Backbone and VSAT infrastructure, laying the groundwork for what would become the country’s largest public ICT network.
From a simple connectivity provider, GBB now operates an extensive nationwide fibre optic network, manages a Tier III Uptime Institute-certified Data Centre in Abuja, and runs a Disaster Recovery Site in Kano; with more data hubs planned across all six geopolitical zones.
Through these investments, Galaxy Backbone has become the technological enabler behind Nigeria’s e-Government Master Plan, a strategy designed to strengthen transparency, efficiency, and quality of public administration.
Under Prof. Adeyanju, the company has articulated three visible priorities:
- Rebuilding MDA confidence and contract fulfilment – an outreach drive to re-establish Galaxy as the preferred government provider.
- Commercial sustainability and profitability – shifting the organisation from reliance on appropriations to a services model that can compete on reliability, security and price.
- Strategic partnerships and sector collaboration – working with the Ministry of Communications and the Digital Economy, the Digital Bridge Institute and other stakeholders to align national digital projects.
These priorities reflect an organisation seeking to balance public-service obligations with the operational discipline expected of a commercial digital infrastructure provider.
Recognitions and Milestones
Galaxy Backbone’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2013, it received the United Nations Public Service Award for Promoting Whole-of-Government Approach in the Information Age, a recognition it shares with leading digital governance institutions globally.
The company continues to collaborate with key partners such as NITDA, NCC, and international ICT organisations to align Nigeria’s digital infrastructure with global best practices.
Prof. Adeyanju‘s approach has earned the company renewed credibility among stakeholders, positioning Galaxy Backbone as a trusted public sector ICT partner and a model for government digital transformation in West Africa.
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