The Federal Government has taken another major step towards digital governance with the soft launch of the Government Service Portal (GSP), a unified digital platform designed to provide Nigerians with seamless access to government services through a single online gateway.
The portal was unveiled at a ceremony hosted by Galaxy Backbone (GBB) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The event brought together senior government officials, representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners and stakeholders in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
In his opening address, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, described the Government Service Portal as a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and a critical step towards building a more connected, transparent and citizen-centred government.
He explained that the portal is more than just a website, describing it as a unified digital gateway through which citizens and businesses can discover, access and consume government services from one location.
“For far too long, citizens have had to navigate numerous websites, offices and services to interact with government, while businesses spend valuable time understanding different processes and completing repetitive administrative requirements,” he said.
According to him, the portal addresses these challenges by bringing government services together on one trusted platform, simplifying access, improving visibility, promoting consistency and creating a seamless experience for everyone interacting with government.
Prof. Adeyanju noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and complements Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure by integrating digital identity, digital payments and data exchange systems.
He disclosed that the soft launch marks the beginning of a pilot phase during which additional government agencies will be onboarded, user experiences evaluated and system capabilities strengthened before nationwide expansion.
The Galaxy Backbone boss called on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to actively integrate their services into the platform, stressing that the success of the initiative depends on collaboration across government.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Johnson Baire, Director of E-Government and Galaxy Backbone Board Member, said the Government Service Portal represents one of the flagship initiatives under Nigeria’s e-Government Master Plan 2.0.
He noted that the project was developed through close collaboration between the Ministry, Galaxy Backbone and KOICA following extensive stakeholder consultations, careful planning and sound governance.
According to him, the Ministry’s mandate is not merely to deploy technology but to leverage digital innovation to improve governance and enhance public service delivery.
He explained that the portal provides Nigerians with a single, secure sign-on through which citizens can access multiple government services without repeatedly submitting the same information or navigating numerous government websites.
Baire said the platform supported the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, aligned with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and serve as a critical component of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure.
He added that, working alongside the Nigerian Data Exchange, the portal will enable government institutions to securely exchange verified information, ensuring that citizens provide their information only once for use across authorised agencies.
He said the initiative reflected the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by reducing delays in public service delivery, improving transparency, strengthening accountability and making government services easier to access.
Describing the launch as the beginning of a new phase rather than the end of the journey, he urged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to work closely with Galaxy Backbone to accelerate service integration and ensure the success of the national initiative.
The representative of the Permanent Secretary thereafter officially unveiled the Government Service Portal, marking the commencement of a new era in Nigeria’s digital public service delivery.
Providing technical insight into the platform, Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Digital Services, Galaxy Backbone, Dr Olube Akinkugbe, disclosed that extensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) was conducted across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory with 184 participants representing diverse demographics.
According to him, over 80 per cent of respondents found the platform user-friendly and easy to navigate, while 88 per cent successfully located government services with ease.
He added that 91 per cent expressed willingness to continue using the platform, while 99 per cent said they would recommend it to others.
Dr Akinkugbe said feedback from the pilot exercise had informed improvements to the system, including enhanced security architecture, better accessibility features, improved OTP delivery and stronger support for visually impaired users.
He explained that the next phase would focus on onboarding more government agencies through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling more public services to become available on the platform.
Representing the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Director Olawunmi Olahanmi described the portal as a critical component of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure.
He said the initiative aligned with NITDA’s digital literacy agenda and demonstrates government’s readiness to provide efficient digital services to citizens.
According to him, without the Government Service Portal, Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure would remain incomplete because it serves as the citizen-facing gateway through which digital government services can be delivered.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engineer Suleiman Falade said Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem provides the trusted foundation for the initiative.
He stated that the National Identification Number (NIN) and NIMC’s identity verification services will enable secure, reliable and transparent access to government services while promoting financial inclusion, innovation and national development.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Samson Ebimaro, Director of Inter-Agency Collaboration, commended Galaxy Backbone, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and KOICA for driving the initiative.
He described digital transformation as a strategic enabler of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Development Plan, urged government institutions to strengthen collaboration, public financial management systems and service integration to maximise the benefits of the platform.
Also speaking, Baik Ki-hyum, Senior Deputy Director representing the KOICA Country Director, described the launch as the culmination of years of partnership between Nigeria and the Republic of Korea under the Building Foundations Towards Digital Governance in Nigeria Project (2020–2026).
He said the Government Service Portal is the flagship achievement of the project and reflects what sustained cooperation between both countries can accomplish in strengthening digital governance.
Baik commended Galaxy Backbone for its technical leadership and reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to supporting Nigeria throughout the pilot phase and towards the full implementation of the platform.
Representatives of the Presidency’s Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit also applauded Galaxy Backbone for driving one of the Federal Government’s priority projects and encouraged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to support the onboarding of their services to ensure the platform delivers maximum value to citizens.
The Government Service Portal is expected to significantly reduce bureaucracy, improve transparency, strengthen accountability and provide Nigerians with a single, secure and user-friendly gateway for accessing government services anytime and anywhere, further advancing the country’s digital transformation agenda.
