The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed Globacom to appoint a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) separate from its Board Chairman within 24 months.
This mandate is part of the NCC’s recently issued ‘Guidelines on Corporate Governance for the Communications Industry,’ released in March 2025, which apply to all licensed telecommunications operators in Nigeria.
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The regulation aims to reinforce proper checks and balances within organizations by ensuring that the roles of the CEO and Board Chairman are held by different individuals. This separation intends to promote accountability, reduce potential conflicts of interest, and strengthen overall corporate governance.
The NCC’s Corporate Governance Guidelines mandate that the board of every licensed telecom operator must consist of at least five members, including a non-executive Chairman, an MD/CEO, Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), and independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs). Importantly, the number of NEDs must exceed that of Executive Directors, and at least one-third of the board must be independent.
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The rules further stipulate that at least two NEDs—one of whom must be independent—should have relevant expertise in information communication technology (ICT) and/or cybersecurity. Most significantly for Globacom, the Chairman must be an NED elected by the board, and under no circumstances can the Chairman exercise executive powers or assume the role of MD/CEO.
Globacom now faces a two-year window to comply with the directive. Failure to do so could lead to regulatory sanctions.
