By JESSICA DOGO

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) and the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance and support the development and integration of smart police stations nationwide.

The event which was held on Friday in Abuja is seen as a strategic move to advance national security through innovation digital infrastructure.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MoU was a commitment of the two institutions to foster a more secure, connected, and technologically empowered Nigeria.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of GBB, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, emphasised the importance of the collaboration in strengthening digital-led policing.

“Today’s agreement represents more than a partnership—it reflects a shared vision for a smarter, more resilient and inclusive Nigeria.

“Our collaboration with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund brings cutting-edge technology into the heart of Nigeria’s security architecture through the deployment of Smart Police Stations.

“These initiatives reflect our firm commitment to innovation, trust, and nation-building,” he said.

He explained that under the terms of the agreement, GBB would provide high-speed fibre connectivity, cloud platforms and secure digital infrastructure to support the deployment of smart police stations in key locations nationwide.

“These stations will be equipped with advanced ICT tools to enhance real-time communication, surveillance, data sharing, and operational efficiency within the Nigeria Police Force.

“The partnership is expected to significantly improve public safety outcomes by enabling more data-driven decision-making, improved incident response times, and greater transparency in law enforcement,’’ he said.

According to him, this initiative reinforces Galaxy Backbone’s strategic role as the digital spine of government operations, enabling secure, interoperable platforms that support innovation, governance and national development.

“The agreement with the Nigeria Police Trust Fund is a bold step toward building a more secure and technologically advanced Nigeria,” Adeyanju said.

In his remarks, the Executive-Secretary of NPTF, Mohammed Sheidu, said the initiative was part of broader efforts to modernise the police and enhance its effectiveness in maintaining law and order.

He also said the partnership would digitalise police station nationwide, adding that it would introduce digital systems for collecting and sorting data as well as connecting police stations to one another.

Sheidu further said the goal of the project was to develop a solution that would enable the police to capture intelligence and information effectively.

“We want to move policing in Nigeria towards the 21st century and more than police force.

“We can only achieve this by strategic collaborations and partnerships with agencies like yours to be able to achieve the digitalisation agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“When we discussed, we talked about how we want to walk into police stations and see digitalised statement forms not having to write on papers.

“We can also have a way our police stations are connected to one another,’’ he said.

He identified lack of data collection as one of the major problems with the Nigerian Police Force.

“With this, your organisation and our organisation partnering together will be able to put out a solution that will capture this intelligence and information gathering.

“We are going to make history by changing the narrative of not just the NPF but the security architecture of Nigeria as a whole,’’ he said. (NAN)