NCC Introduces New Corporate Governance Guidelines to Strengthen Telecom Sector

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a fresh set of corporate governance rules designed specifically for the telecommunications industry, signaling a major advancement in regulatory oversight.

At the unveiling event in Lagos on Wednesday, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, stressed that the 2025 guidelines go beyond mere compliance—they serve as a strategic blueprint for long-term growth, investment protection, and digital trust in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding telecom market.

Key features of the new guidelines include: Enhanced Board Composition Emphasis on sector, with specific expertise for better decision-making; Increased Transparency, which dwells on mandatory certified mid-year and annual compliance reports; Robust Risk Management, which focuses on strengthened internal controls and enterprise risk frameworks; Sustainability Focus, which concerns mandatory ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) disclosures, with attention to energy efficiency.

Maida highlighted that companies with strong governance practices have demonstrated superior financial performance, regulatory adherence, and service quality.

Consequently, he urged telecom operators to view the guidelines as a “toolkit for sustainable value creation” rather than a regulatory hurdle, encouraging investment in leadership training, risk mitigation, and governance-aligned executive incentives.

The guidelines, developed after extensive industry consultations in 2023 and 2024, build on over a decade of regulatory refinement—starting with the first voluntary code in 2014.

They will be rolled out in phases, initially targeting priority license holders.

The NCC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting operators through engagement, enablement, and enforcement.

The launch comes at a pivotal moment as the sector grapples with cybersecurity risks, rising consumer demands, and the push for broader broadband access.

With over 200 million active subscriptions, Nigeria’s telecom industry remains a key driver of economic growth.

Maida described the new framework as “a decisive step toward a resilient, ethical, and innovative telecoms sector.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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