Why MTN Nigeria is succeeding against all odds – Chair

The MTN Nigeria Communications PLC Chairman, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, has disclosed that the company is thriving despite the ‘hostile’ business environment in Nigeria because it has a solid structure. He disclosed this while speaking in a panel discussion at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja on Wednesday. “One thing that makes a business […]

The MTN Nigeria Communications PLC Chairman, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, has disclosed that the company is thriving despite the ‘hostile’ business environment in Nigeria because it has a solid structure.

He disclosed this while speaking in a panel discussion at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja on Wednesday.

“One thing that makes a business succeed is the way the business is structured, the kind of board members you have, the kind of visionaries you have in the business, your recruitment processes, and things like that.

“You can’t get something out of nothing. If you look at the MTN story in Nigeria, one of its strongest success stories is the fact that it’s the most stable mobile operating company in Nigeria. It did not have board squabbles.

“It did not have a company changing name ever so often. It has very strong boards. And recruitment of staff is done based purely on merit.

 

“When it was time to recruit people at the initial stages, they went international looking for Nigerians in the diaspora who were ready to come back and chose people based on their capacity to deliver.

 

“Secondly, it has structures in place where people have powers to do certain things themselves and take responsibility for their actions. Once you have a well-managed company, the company tends to survive very well in any environment, not just in Africa,” Dr Ndukwe said.

 

He maintained that once a company has the right people running the business, they would be able to surmount any challenges coming the company’s way.

 

Speaking on the topic “Titans on the move: Africa Multinationals”, spotlighting the private sector’s catalytic role in unlocking cross-border growth, Ndukwe stressed the need to build a strong manpower pool in Africa.