Professor Umar Danbatta, EVC of NCC
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, has hailed the new Code of Corporate Governance for the telecommunications industry recently activated by the commission, assuring that it would soon usher in a crop of fresh and visionary leaders in the industry.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the side line of a workshop organized in Lagos to sensitize stakeholders on the new code, the NCC boss, however, noted that the commission was not being reactive to the recent happenings in the industry with the activation of the fresh regulation.
The NCC, under his leadership, has introduced the mandatory code of corporate governance for the telecommunications industry, which was hitherto voluntary.
“The corporate governance code had come before the recent happenings in the industry, meaning, we do not react to situations in the sector on ad hoc basis. However, where we have to come in to stave off undesired developments in the sector we don’t hesitate to do so. But more than that we also put proactive steps in place in order to ensure that the sector remains stable and resilient,” he explained.
Citing the example of the recent intervention of the commission to save 9Mobile from total collapse, Danbatta, said: “we intervened jointly with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), consistent with an item of our 8-point agenda, strategic collaboration and partnership.
He further stressed that with the activation of the new code, the NCC is trying to ensure an enduring corporate instructional structure in place, with a view to sustaining stability in telecoms sector.
“We are in the process of trying to ensure we have transformational leadership in the telecoms sector; leadership that will introduce new ideas, new ways of work, with it-cannot- be-business-as-usual mentality, leadership that has vision and a compelling narrative about the future for all stakeholders in the industry. Unless and until we do this, we will not be able to sustain the contribution of the sector to GDP, which currently stands at about 9.8%.
“We are mindful of what we have to do to sustain this resilience as indicated by all the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), statistics which confirm the resilience and stability of the sector. That’s why we are taking these measures, measures that any regulator would proactively take to protect the industry,” he pointed out.
