The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken steps to continue with virtual meetings and other activities long after coronavirus would have been cleared from the surface of the earth.
This followed the report of the minister of Digital Communications, Isa Pantami today, September 2, to the virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for Galaxy Backbone Limited.
According to Pantami at a news briefing: “what the memo speaks about is the need to upgrade and be more alive to digital transformation in our activities. We have seen how Covid -19 pandemic brought about the need to be conducting activities virtually and today we have attended the 14 virtual executive council meeting and this is unprecedented. We have been pushed by necessities to virtual activities.
“It is because of these that Galaxy backbone limited has deployed ICT infrastructure in federal public institutions like State House.
“Where we have 1,500 land points that is local area network points , federal secretariat phase one 2750 land points, federal secretariat phase 2 , 4896 and SGF office 1176 local areas and network and Mabushi where minister of works and Housing reside , they have about 800 local area network points .
“Most of the facilities being used are deployed 10,11 and 12 years ago . The most recent facilities in most of the places were the ones deployed 8 years ago and the validity of these facilities is usually 5 years maximum.
“Now we have some that are up to 11 ,12 years .There is a need for these facilities to be upgraded why because we are going virtual almost everyday and only Almighty God knows when this Covid -19 pandemic will leave us. “However, we are optimistic and prayerful as well , it is because of these Mr President has directed that we should conduct an audit assessment of all the federal public institutions and the need to upgrade their facilities.
“We have done that and the report has been presented before the council being chaired by our boss Mr President and secondly after that Galaxy backbone has been established to be providing digital services to all public institutions and with the presentation and prayer contained in the memo , federal government has redirected that all federal public institutions should always contact galaxy as their first point of call whenever they have any IT project to be executed.
“Most importantly, our presentation here is about upgrading our ICT infrastructure and secondly, directing institutions to patronize Galaxy and thirdly, to show to us the commitment of the federal government towards promotion of our government digital services and this is in summary of what the memo is all about.”
