Business
BREAKING:Globacom CEO Ahmad Farroukh Resigns Amid Governance Challenges
Globacom’s leadership void following Farroukh’s departure will raise questions about the company’s ability to navigate its ongoing internal challenges and regain its competitive edge.
Ahmad Farroukh, the CEO of Nigerian telecom giant Globacom, has resigned after just one month in the role, multiple sources close to the matter confirmed.
While Globacom has not issued an official statement or communicated the resignation internally, several industry insiders suggest the decision was linked to significant challenges within the company’s organizational structure.
Techcabal reports that Farroukh’s departure was tied to problems with the organizational setup. A top-level executive at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) who asked not to be named confirmed Farroukh’s exit but declined to share specifics.
Farroukh’s abrupt resignation highlights significant internal challenges at the company, which has long been criticized for its centralized decision-making process.
According to a former Globacom executive, the company’s founder, Mike Adenuga, is key to most decisions within the company.
Adenuga has managed the telecom giant alongside his other business interests, including oil and gas, financial services, and real estate, with minimal structural separation between his other ventures and Globacom’s operations.
This approach has historically worked for the company but may have presented obstacles for Farroukh, whose experience at more structured organizations like MTN and Airtel might have led him to expect a different level of operational autonomy.
Farroukh’s departure also comes when Globacom is facing heightened regulatory scrutiny.
In late 2024, the NCC’s sector audit revealed that over 40 million subscribers were not properly registered with their National Identification Numbers (NIN), violating government regulations.
This led to a significant loss of market share, with Globacom’s share of the Nigerian mobile market shrinking by approximately 60%, leaving it with just 12%.
Globacom has also faced ongoing cybersecurity issues, including a high-profile hack in 2023 that exposed the personal data of millions of its subscribers.
These issues may have created an environment where Farroukh’s leadership efforts could not make a meaningful impact quickly.
“A CEO leaving in one month is unprecedented in the industry. The NCC can investigate the reason for his exit. The commission can seek an explanation from the CEO, who is not obligated to respond, or from the company because this is about corporate governance, which the NCC Act covers,” said Ayoola Oke, a former Adviser to the former Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Ernest Ndukwe.
Globacom’s leadership void following Farroukh’s departure will raise questions about the company’s ability to navigate its ongoing internal challenges and regain its competitive edge.
Without significant structural changes, it is unclear how Globacom can address the organizational weaknesses that led to Farroukh’s exit.
Business
Dangote unveils ambitious plan for 20,000MW power project
“We are now going into power… 20,000 megawatts,” said Dangote during a conversation with International Finance Corporation Managing Director Makhtar Diop, adding that Africa’s most pressing needs remain energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.
Aliko Dangote, the billionaire behind Africa’s largest industrial conglomerate, is determined to end Nigeria’s epileptic power sector with a plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity.
Dangote’s entry into the sector follows a string of failed promises from the Nigerian government.
Adebayo Adelabu, ex-Power Minister, has repeatedly missed deadlines to stabilise the grid at even 6,000 megawatts, a fraction of what Dangote is now proposing.
“We are now going into power… 20,000 megawatts,” said Dangote during a conversation with International Finance Corporation Managing Director Makhtar Diop, adding that Africa’s most pressing needs remain energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.
Business
Enugu govt to build 660MW coal-fired power plant
Governor Peter Mbah disclosed this during a solidarity visit by the leadership of Organized Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) to him at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
Photo: A coal fired power plant in Hanchuan, Hubei province, China / Getty Images
Enugu State Government has concluded plans to build a 660MW coal-fired power plant in the state.
Governor Peter Mbah disclosed this during a solidarity visit by the leadership of Organized Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) to him at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
” I am pleased to inform you that in July, we will break ground for a 660MW coal-fired power plant.The outlay in terms of time for building the plant is 24 months. So, our target is to commission that power plant 24 months after the groundbreaking in July,” said Mbah.
Mbah recalled that Enugu State, under his leadership, was the first subnational to set up an electricity market, following the Constitution and Electricity Act amendments that effectively transferred power from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List, thus paving the way for states to participate in all the power value chain, namely generation, transmission, and distribution.
The governor allayed concerns normally associated with coal, citing the low sulfur content and high calorific value of Enugu coal, standing at about 7,000 kilocalories per kilogramme.
He said the project was not a knee-jerk decision, as his administration had taken about two years to undertake the necessary studies and also secure coal assets to guarantee unhindered supplies to the plant.
Business
Zenith Bank: Mustafa Bello succeeds Ovia as chairman
Engr Bello is the longest-serving Board Member and has a good understanding of the Bank. This appointment has been approved by the Central Bank.
•Mustafa Bello
The former Minister of Commerce and longest-serving Non-Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Mustafa Bello, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Bank.
Bello’s appointment was announced yesterday during the bank’s yearly general meeting in Lagos.
In his remark, Jim Ovia stated, “Distinguished shareholders, it gives me great pleasure to address you this morning. This meeting will be the last Annual General Meeting that I will be attending as Chairman of this Bank. In line with the CBN’s corporate governance provision, I am expected to serve for 12 years. Having served for that term, I’ll be retiring at this AGM.
For continuity, the Board met and nominated Engineer Mustafa Bello as the next Chairman.
Engr Bello is the longest-serving Board Member and has a good understanding of the Bank. This appointment has been approved by the Central Bank.
I thank you for supporting me for this tenure. I hope you give him the same support that you gave me. Thank you and God bless Zenith Bank.”
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