By AKOMA CHINWEOKE
The executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, has reassured the local and international investors in the  telecom sector of the safety of their investments, saying that there is a lot focus now by the government to tackle the security challenges in Nigeria.

The vice chairman, represented by the  commission’s director of public affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, disclosed this   at the 3rd West  African Information and Communication Technology Congress. He  noted that the commission has commenced preliminary appraisal of the smooth take off  of  broadband to achieve sub-regional integration.

The event according to him provides another opportunity for the  country  to let the world know what has happened over the years and also re-assure investors  that Nigeria still has great opportunities especially when it get into broadband as there are opportunities that stakeholders can tap into and also have good returns on their investments.”

He noted that as at 2000-2001,  many did not think that Nigeria’s telecom sector would survive to attract huge investors not to talk of having good returns on their investment adding that with the huge success the sector has recorded in the past ten years, it means the country is on the right track which is why the commission is asking investors and venture capitalist to come into Nigeria  and invest in another area of focus which is broadband.

“The impact of broadband can only better be imagined as very soon relevant e-applications such as ATMs, e-learning, e-governance,  e-agriculture,  will have to ride on broadband and for us to be able to leverage on  the capabilities that are available in this, we need broadband to drive all of these e- processes.

So, even when  we  are talking about distance learning in  the universities and in certain locations, you would require broadband to be able to deliver effectively the kind of service, quality and at the speed that  is required. So, what broadband is going to do is that it is going to revolutionize data communication in the country at all levels to drive business processes like we had never  had it before,” Juwah added.