Mr. Hassan Jabber, the Chief Operating Officer of MTN Nigeria, has departed from the organisation. The MTN Group has named Ayham Moussa in his place, effective August 19, 2024.

Rufai appointed MTN Congo-Brazzaville’s CEO

Additionally, a Nigerian, Mohammed Rufai, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, has been named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Congo-Brazzaville. As Moussa leaves the office to pursue his career as COO in Nigeria, Rufai moves in the opposite direction.

In addition to announcing the changes, MTN Group alluded to Djibril Ouattara, the CEO of MTN Côte d’Ivoire, retiring voluntarily.

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The MTN Group released the following statement: “We are happy to announce the appointment of Ayham Moussa as Chief Operations Officer (COO) of MTN Nigeria and Mohammed Rufai as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Congo-Brazzaville, effective 1 September and 19 August 2024, respectively.

“We also announce the departure of MTN Nigeria COO Hassan Jabber and the voluntary early retirement of MTN Côte d’Ivoire CEO Djibril Ouattara.

“Mohammed Rufai has an outstanding track record in the telecom sector and is an accomplished professional with over 24 years of ICT expertise. He began working for MTN Nigeria in 2002 and was transferred to MTN Ghana in 2015, where he was appointed the Chief Technical Officer.

He is MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer at the moment. Mohammed has occupied several high-level positions within the MTN Group, such as Ghana and Southeast Africa’s Regional CTIO. In addition, he is a member of the boards of MTN Benin and Bayobab (Nigeria).

Mohammed is a motivated leader who is enthusiastic about customer satisfaction, employee growth, and flawless execution. He has an Advanced Management and General Management certificate and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science. Mohammed attended the University of Cambridge, UK, Cranfield University, UK, and Lagos Business School.

Ayham Moussa takes charge at MTN Nigeria

“Ayham Moussa, who joins the MTN Nigeria executive leadership team as COO, hands off the reins at MTN Congo-Brazzaville to Mohammed. Hassan Jabber, who is departing MTN, is replaced by Ayham.

Ayham joined MTN in 2002, returned in 2006 after a brief leave of absence, and served the company in several markets, including Guinea-Conakry and Syria. He has held senior positions at MTN Congo-Brazzaville, including CEO, Chief Technical and Information Officer, and Chief Information Officer.

“Through his technological positions, Ayham was instrumental in the nation’s digital transition from 2G to 4G, positioning MTN Congo-Brazzaville as a pioneer in the field. Awards for the MTN Group and the best network in West and Central Africa were given to his team in recognition of their hard work. As the CEO, Ayham grew.

The leadership and overall health of MTN Congo’s business, driving growth, margins, and operational excellence while cultivating a strong rapport with a range of local stakeholders.

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MTN Group President’s remarks

Ralph Mupita, President and CEO of MTN Group, thanked Djibril for his nearly nine years of service, noting that he had played a key role in expanding the company’s operations in Congo-Brazzaville and spearheading MTN Côte d’Ivoire’s turnaround.

Additionally, he expressed his gratitude to Hassan for his enormous contribution to the Group’s success over 22 years, during which he served as CEO in markets like Afghanistan, Sudan, and Guinea-Conakry.

“I wish both Djibril and Hassan well in their future endeavours on behalf of the MTN Group Board and Group Exco,” he stated. Along with wishing Ayham and Mohammed well in their new positions, I also want to congratulate them on their appointments,” he continued.