The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has in Lagos, released the Code of Corporate Governance for the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry.
In the code, which was made available on the NCC’s website yesterday, the commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Eugene Juwah, said that the provisions of the code were based on international best practices.
Juwah said that the code sought to foster good corporate governance practices in the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
According to him, it is now common knowledge that enthronement of good corporate governance standards and practices in organisations encourage corporate success and business sustainability.
“The need to develop a sector specific Corporate Governance Code for the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry is necessary to address the peculiarities of the sector that are not typically dealt with under broadly-aimed codes.
“This is more so in view of the fact that the telecommunications sector, though, dominated by privately-held companies, is of strategic importance to the economy at a macro level.
“It also has considerable impact at the micro level.
“As the telecommunications industry’s regulator, NCC, in keeping with our core values proactively undertook industry-wide consultations with a view to determining the industry’s corporate governance needs,” he said.
Juwah said that the commission conducted wide consultations to determine the best approach to adopt in addressing the issue of corporate governance in the sector.
“Thus the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector Corporate Governance Working Group (CGWG), with membership drawn from across the Nigerian telecommunications sector.
“It includes, the NCC and Corporate Governance Consultants/Experts that were inaugurated on October 24, 2012 by our Executive Commissioner/Stakeholder Management, Mr Okechukwu Itanyi.
“The CGWG developed this Code of Corporate Governance for the Telecommunications Industry,” he said.
Juwah said that the code was a voluntary code of leading practices aimed at regulating corporate behaviour and practices of companies within the industry.
Juwah said it was expected that the code would create a credible industry in which every stakeholder would have confidence, foster the growth and development of the industry, and the larger national economy.
According to him, corporate governance in our emerging economy is driven by the need to develop a system of control which aims at increasing shareholders value and surpassing the expectations of other stakeholders.
He said that corporate governance culture adopted by companies had positive or negative impact on their growth and development.
According to him, it is also a critical deciding factor in the success or failure of the companies.
“The consultative approach adopted in developing this code is unique and offers opportunity for acceptability of the code by the board and management of various telecommunication companies.
“It is our sincere hope that this code will achieve the desired objectives and bring about positive changes in the corporate governance practices of the telecommunications industry,” Juwah said.