The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), has entered into a strategic partnership with Galaxy Backbone Limited to provide subsidised sovereign cloud services for startups participating in the iHatch programme.
The partnership is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s startup ecosystem by enhancing access to critical digital infrastructure, promoting data sovereignty, and accelerating indigenous innovation.
Under the agreement, participating startups will be onboarded to the Galaxy Cloud Platform (GxCP), a sovereign digital infrastructure supported by Uptime-certified Tier III and Tier IV data centres, a nationwide fibre-optic network, and advanced cybersecurity capabilities.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the collaboration underscores the agency’s commitment to building a resilient and globally competitive startup ecosystem by providing entrepreneurs with access to essential digital infrastructure.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader digital transformation agenda and efforts to position Nigeria as a leading innovation hub in Africa.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Ibrahim Adeyanju, described the initiative as a significant step toward empowering startups with secure, enterprise-grade cloud services at highly subsidised rates.
According to him, the arrangement will enable startups to host their data locally, reduce operational costs, and contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty.
To ensure sustainability, Galaxy Backbone will implement a tiered, milestone-based model that releases cloud credits across the “Build, Validate and Scale” phases of a startup’s development journey.
The credits will remain valid for 12 months, after which participating startups will transition to standard subscription or pay-as-you-go billing models.
The initiative also includes a dedicated Startup Success Team from Galaxy Backbone to support adoption and provide technical guidance, alongside automated usage monitoring systems to optimise resource utilisation.
In a move designed to shield startups from foreign exchange fluctuations, all post-credit billing will be conducted in Nigerian naira.
Galaxy Backbone’s General Manager for Strategic Partnerships, Abdul Malik Suleiman, said the partnership reflects a deliberate effort to bridge the gap between infrastructure and innovation within Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of ONDI, Victoria Fabunmi, said integrating Galaxy Backbone’s sovereign cloud infrastructure into the iHatch programme would significantly enhance the capacity of startups to scale and compete effectively in the global digital economy.
She noted that the iHatch programme has already trained more than 160 startups across 37 hub partners nationwide, adding that the new partnership is expected to further accelerate innovation, growth and competitiveness across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
