Toriola, who has successfully led MTN Nigeria since 2021, will take on additional oversight of key Francophone markets, including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville. The appointment marks a return to familiar ground for Toriola, who previously held senior roles in Francophone West Africa before moving to Nigeria, the company’s largest and most profitable operation. He will continue in his role as CEO of MTN Nigeria while serving as VP of Francophone Africa.
The changes come as MTN reviews its Ambition 2025 strategy against shifting geopolitical and macroeconomic realities. While the Group affirmed that the strategy’s core pillars remain intact, it plans to accelerate focus on three platforms: connectivity, fintech, and digital infrastructure.
“These leadership changes illustrate the depth of talent and experience we have across the Group,” MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said. “They will support the accelerated execution of our strategy beyond 2025 and drive greater value creation for stakeholders over the medium term.”
Other Key Appointments
- Finance: Group CFO Tsholofelo Molefe will now also oversee mergers and acquisitions, consolidating capital allocation under finance to ensure disciplined investment.
- Markets: Ebenezer Asante, formerly SVP of Markets, becomes VP of Ghana and Southern & East Africa, with responsibility for Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, South Sudan, Sudan, Liberia, and joint ventures in Eswatini and Botswana.
- South Africa: Ferdi Moolman, Group Chief Risk Officer and former MTN Nigeria CEO, has been named CEO of MTN South Africa, succeeding Charles Molapisi. Yolanda Cuba will serve as Deputy CEO and Executive Director of MTN SA. Molapisi returns as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer with a new mandate to accelerate AI adoption.
- Digital Infrastructure: Mazen Mroué will now focus solely on expanding fibre, data centres, and satellite partnerships to reinforce MTN’s backbone connectivity.
- Commercial & Strategy: Selorm Adadevoh, Group Chief Commercial Officer, will also oversee Strategy and Transformation. Current CSO Chika Ekeji will step back from the executive committee to focus on scaling emerging businesses.
Board-Level Transitions
At the board level, Sindisiwe (Sindi) Mabaso-Koyana will replace Mike Harper as Chairperson of MTN South Africa in Q1 2026, while Group Chief Human Resources Officer Paul Norman will retire at the end of 2026.
MTN said the reshuffle reflects the depth of its leadership pipeline and aligns with its ambition to build stronger platforms for growth across Africa and the Middle East.
With his dual mandate as CEO of MTN Nigeria and VP of Francophone Africa, Karl Toriola now stands at the centre of MTN’s continental strategy, positioning him as a key figure in the company’s next growth phase.