MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola Appointed Vice President of Francophone Africa

MTN Group has expanded the role of Karl Toriola, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, appointing him as Vice President for Francophone Africa.

The appointment will take effect from November 1, 2025, and will see him retain his position as CEO of MTN Nigeria while also overseeing the company’s operations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville.

The new responsibility is part of MTN’s ongoing leadership restructuring aimed at driving its Ambition 2025 strategy, which is focused on strengthening connectivity, advancing fintech services, and expanding digital infrastructure across Africa.

According to the Group, the changes will enable faster strategy execution and greater value creation for its stakeholders.

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said the realignment was necessary to position the company for long-term growth. He explained that Toriola’s track record of leadership in Nigeria, along with his prior experience overseeing West and Central Africa, makes him well qualified to lead the Francophone markets.

Alongside Toriola’s expanded mandate, MTN announced other major leadership adjustments across its operations. Ferdi Moolman will return as CEO of MTN South Africa, while Charles Molapisi will revert to his role as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer with additional responsibility for artificial intelligence adoption. Ebenezer Asante will take charge of nine countries as Vice President for Ghana, Southern and East Africa.

Group Chief Financial Officer Tsholofelo Molefe will now directly manage mergers and acquisitions, and Mazen Mroué will assume full responsibility for digital infrastructure, including fibre rollout, data centres, and satellite expansion. Selorm Adadevoh has been appointed Group Chief Commercial, Strategy, and Transformation Officer, while Chika Ekeji will step out of the executive committee to focus on new business areas. In addition, Sindisiwe Mabaso-Koyana will succeed Mike Harper as Chairperson of MTN South Africa in the first quarter of 2026.
Since becoming CEO of MTN Nigeria in 2021, Toriola has led several transformative initiatives, including the rollout of Nigeria’s 5G network and the establishment of West Africa’s largest data centre.

His appointment to the expanded role reflects MTN’s confidence in his leadership capacity and ability to deliver sustainable growth in both Anglophone and Francophone markets.
MTN said the leadership changes mark a critical step in its ambition to remain Africa’s leading digital operator, with Toriola’s new responsibilities expected to consolidate the Group’s operations in Francophone Africa while sustaining growth in Nigeria, its biggest market.