By Saminu Ibrahim
(SINL NIGERIA) The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), has entered into a strategic partnership with Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) to provide subsidised sovereign cloud services for startups participating in the iHatch programme.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem by promoting data sovereignty, expanding digital inclusion, and accelerating the growth of indigenous innovation.
Under the agreement, selected startups will be onboarded onto the Galaxy Cloud Platform (GxCP), which is supported by Uptime-certified Tier III and Tier IV data centres, a nationwide fibre network, and robust cybersecurity infrastructure.
The Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar made this known in a statement on Saturday.
The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said the partnership underscores the agency’s commitment to building a resilient and globally competitive startup ecosystem by ensuring access to critical digital infrastructure.
On his part, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GBB, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, noted that the collaboration would empower startups with secure, enterprise-grade cloud services at highly subsidised rates.
He added that hosting data locally would enhance Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while reducing reliance on foreign infrastructure.
To ensure sustainability, Galaxy Backbone will deploy a tiered, milestone-based model, where cloud service credits are released across key stages of a startup’s lifecycle Build, Validate, and Scale.
The credits will be valid for 12 months, after which beneficiaries will transition to standard or pay-as-you-go billing plans.
The programme will also feature a dedicated Startup Success Team to support adoption, alongside automated monitoring tools to optimise resource usage. Notably, all post-credit billing will be conducted in Nigerian Naira, a move designed to shield startups from foreign exchange volatility.
General Manager, Strategic Partnerships at GBB, Abdul Malik Suleiman, described the initiative as a deliberate effort to bridge the gap between infrastructure and innovation.
Similarly, National Coordinator of ONDI, Victoria Fabunmi, said integrating sovereign cloud services into the iHatch programme would significantly enhance startups’ capacity to scale and compete globally.
The iHatch programme has so far trained over 160 startups across 37 innovation hubs nationwide, with the new partnership expected to further drive innovation and growth within Nigeria’s digital economy.
