MTN Group appointed Dr. Karl Olutokun Toriola as Vice President of Francophone Africa to improve its African operations.
Effective November 1, 2025, Toriola will oversee MTN’s operations in key French-speaking countries like Cameroon, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville.
Toriola will also serve as CEO of MTN Nigeria, Africa’s largest telecommunications market. This dual position makes this development remarkable.
MTN’s ambitious efforts to strengthen its market share and presence in various African markets are evident.
There is no one better than Karl Toriola to lead. MTN has hired him in Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville for almost twenty years. He started working for Ericsson Nigeria in 2000 and became Vmobile Nigeria’s COO.
He was the Chief Technical Officer for MTN Nigeria in 2006 and the CEO of MTN Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon before becoming CEO of MTN Nigeria in 2020. He can guide MTN Nigeria through the complex problems of Francophone Africa because he knows a lot about the region.
Championing growth in francophone Africa
With Francophone Africa’s economic growth, MTN appointed Karl Toriola to lead Francophone Africa operations. Increasing smartphone penetration and fintech use are transforming Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.
Toriola intends to boost MTN’s growth by adapting to the Francophone market. He has more responsibility as MTN aims to develop coherent leadership across its highest-growth markets to accelerate execution and value creation.
Toriola’s capacity to manage Francophone Africa while remaining Nigeria CEO shows MTN’s commitment to leadership continuity.
As Group CEO, Ralph Mupita said, “These leadership changes illustrate the depth of talent and experience across MTN. They position us to execute with greater focus, deliver accelerated growth beyond 2025, and create long-term value for all stakeholders.”
This leadership reshuffle includes changes to South Africa and Group Finance to tighten MTN’s grip on the continent’s telecom space.
The leadership makeover at MTN combines operational efficiency and market expansion. Karl Toriola will lead two key operations for MTN, boosting its foothold in Africa’s lucrative cellular industry.