By Uche Nworah
Our brothers and sisters that have a big say in telecom in Nigeria, please use your different platforms to push for wider and faster data coverage in the South East (SE). If nothing is urgently done, SE economies will be left- behind economies in the present 4th industrial revolution.
If you live and work in the SE like I do, you will understand what I am talking about. It’s like there is a conspiracy among the telcos to deny the SE fast and wider data and internet coverage.
You have to move from one location to another in some circumstances and in some places to access the internet on your phone, and when you do, the speed can give you a heart attack.
Issues to address include availability, coverage and speed. Cost is a different ball game for the millions of SE youths that are either unemployed or underemployed, and are needed to power the SE economies tech wise.
I have been so frustrated that in the last 2 years alone, I have had to port my numbers twice, the latest being yesterday but still no respite.
How can SE youths and companies compete with their counterparts when something as simple as accessing speedy internet as and when required is still a nightmare? Is it in such circumstances that they can learn to code, develop apps, and be part of the tech ecosystem (hubs, start-ups etc).
Must Lagos win all the time? Must SE youths all migrate to Lagos to be part of the 4th industrial revolution? Must we condemn our young people to a life of selling wares at Ochanja main market when there is a wider market on the internet waiting for them?
For example, in my line of work, we constantly battle with poor internet connection which hinders our content uploads, Facebook live broadcasts etc thus giving our competitors in the West an unfair advantage.
Biko nu tinye nu onu na this matter (Please, contribute on this matter). Save our souls in the South East.
Uche Nworah is MD/CEO of Anambra Broadcasting Service. uchenworah@yahoo.com