Soun unveils plan for internet radio in palace, ramps up efforts at making Ogbomoso digital innovation hub

Soun unveils plan for internet radio in palace, ramps up efforts at making Ogbomoso digital innovation hub

Yinka ADETUNJI

The Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III has unveiled plan to launch a wifi internet radio station at his palace.

The paramount ruler who disclosed the purpose was to improve communication with his subjects across the globe said this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, earlier in the week at Abuja.

The Soun who also made a visit to the Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) similarly in Abuja submitted, “I shared my vision of establishing a digital internet radio network within the Palace: an innovative platform designed to enable me to communicate directly with all my sons and daughters across the world, transcending distance, time, and location.”

Recalling the minister’s response, the Oba said in a social media post, he “assured us of his full cooperation and support toward bringing this vision to fruition.”

Oba Olaoye further noted, “Indeed, the future of leadership lies in effective communication, innovation, and meaningful connection—and we are embracing this future with clarity, commitment, and purpose.”

His visit to Galaxy Backbone (GBB) equally afforded him the opportunity to enunciate his vision of digital transformation of his domain.

In company with Dr. Niran Oyekale and Prof. Adeshola Adepoju, the Asiwaju of Ogbomosoland, the Oba was received by members of the Executive Management of GBB including Prof Ibrahim Adeyanju (an indigene of Ogbomoso), who is the Managing Director/CEO; Hon. Olusegun Olulade, Executive Director, Consumer Centricity & Marketing; Olumbe Akinkungbe, Executive Director, Digital Exploration & Technical Services; alongside others.

“I articulated a bold vision to position Ogbomoso as a leading hub for information technology and digital innovation, driven by youth capacity building, innovation, and strong strategic partnerships. It was deeply encouraging to observe a strong alignment of purpose, as the Executive Director and the management team expressed clear enthusiasm and readiness to collaborate in translating this vision into reality,” Soun noted in another Facebook post.”

The monarch revealing the community had already begun the transition with the presence of some digital innovation stations including The Assembly (an innovation ecosystem builder), SQI (an ICT institute), and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, observed these hubs are already having impact and “fast-tracking Ogbomoso’s digital transformation, particularly in equipping our youths with future-ready digital skills.”

Likewise in a press release, titled, “Soun of Ogbomoso land visits Galaxy Backbone, calls for strategic collaboration on digital transformation,” GBB stated “Nigeria’s foremost digital infrastructure and shared services provider for government, today hosted His Imperial Majesty, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, Orumogege III, the Soun (king) of Ogbomosoland, on a courtesy visit aimed at strengthening collaboration on digital transformation initiatives for Ogbomosoland and the nation at large. He was received by top Executives of GBB, led by the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, who is an indigene of Ogbomoso.

“The visit commenced with a guided tour of Galaxy Backbone’s digital infrastructure facilities, where His Imperial Majesty was given a firsthand view of the organisation’s data centres, connectivity backbone, security operations centre, network operations centre, sovereign cloud platforms, and other critical systems powering Nigeria’s public sector digitalisation. The tour showcased GBB’s role as the engine room of government digital services, supporting secure, efficient, and paperless operations across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“Following the infrastructure tour, the Soun met with the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, alongside members of the Executive Management Team and senior leaders of the organisation.

“In his remarks, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye expressed strong confidence in Galaxy Backbone’s capacity to drive meaningful digital transformation, not only for Ogbomosoland but across Nigeria.

“He commended GBB’s strategic national role and emphasized the importance of structured collaboration between federal digital institutions and local communities to ensure inclusive development in the digital age.

“The monarch highlighted opportunities for partnership in areas such as digital infrastructure development, skills and human capital advancement, youth innovation, smart community initiatives, and technology-enabled public service delivery, noting that digital connectivity and capacity are now central to sustainable development.

“In response, Professor @IbrahimAdeyanju welcomed His Imperial Majesty and described the visit as symbolic of the convergence of heritage and innovation. He reaffirmed Galaxy Backbone’s mandate to provide secure, sovereign digital infrastructure that enables effective governance, citizen engagement, and national development.

“Members of GBB’s Executive Management assured the Soun of the organisation’s commitment to deepening collaboration with Ogbomosoland, in alignment with national digital policies, the Federal Government’s reform agenda, and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They emphasized GBB’s readiness to explore partnerships that leverage its infrastructure and platforms to support local development while advancing Nigeria’s broader digital future.

“The visit concluded with an exchange of goodwill, presentation of a commemorative gift, and group photographs, marking the beginning of what both parties described as a purposeful and mutually beneficial relationship.

“Galaxy Backbone remains committed to working with traditional institutions, government stakeholders, and communities to ensure that no part of Nigeria is left behind in the nation’s journey toward a secure, inclusive, and digitally empowered future.”

DIGITAL INTERNET RADIO NETWORK
According to Google, “a digital internet radio network consists of audio services transmitted via the internet (webcasting) rather than traditional radio waves, allowing listeners to access thousands of international, genre-specific, and, in many cases, commercial-free stations. These services are accessed through computers, smartphones, or dedicated Wi-Fi radios.”
Also known as online radio, web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio and IP radio, its key aspects include content variety and access, as “listeners can access a near-infinite selection of global stations, often with better sound quality and more specialized content than traditional AM/FM radio,” technology (relying on internet connectivity (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) rather than radio frequencies, often using platforms like TuneIn or iHeartRadio) etc.