MTN Bridges Anglophone and Francophone Africa with Strategic Leadership Pivot

The MTN Group has restructured its leadership to accelerate strategic growth across Africa, appointing Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, as Vice President of Francophone Africa, effective November 1, 2025. Toriola will retain his role as CEO of MTN Nigeria, the group’s largest and most profitable subsidiary, while overseeing operations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Congo Brazzaville. This dual mandate reflects the group’s focus on leveraging Toriola’s extensive regional experience to drive expansion in Francophone markets, where MTN aims to strengthen its presence in connectivity, fintech, and digital infrastructure.

Toriola’s appointment follows a broader leadership reshuffle designed to streamline operations under three core pillars. Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President and CEO, emphasized that the changes aim to “support the accelerated execution of our strategy beyond 2025 and greater value creation for stakeholders over the medium term.” Toriola’s career spans nearly two decades within MTN, including leadership roles in Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, and West and Central Africa, positioning him to replicate MTN Nigeria’s success in Francophone regions.

MTN Nigeria, under Toriola’s leadership, achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first telecom operator in Africa to cross a N10 trillion market capitalization. The subsidiary contributes over one-third of the group’s revenue and serves as a testing ground for innovations later scaled continent-wide. Analysts note that Toriola’s dual role aligns with MTN’s strategy to consolidate leadership in high-growth markets, leveraging Nigeria’s model of aggressive broadband expansion, fintech integration, and infrastructure investment.

The reshuffle also includes key appointments across MTN’s operations. Ferdi Moolman, former MTN Nigeria CEO, will assume leadership of MTN South Africa, while Charles Molapisi returns as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, with a mandate to fast-track AI adoption. Tsholofelo Molefe, Group CFO, will oversee mergers and acquisitions, and Ebenezer Asante will lead operations in Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, and other East African markets. These changes underscore MTN’s commitment to unifying leadership and optimizing capital allocation.

The leadership realignment comes amid heightened competition and regulatory scrutiny in African telecom markets. Toriola’s expanded role is expected to address challenges such as infrastructure costs and digital inclusion gaps in Francophone Africa. MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, now extended beyond 2025, prioritizes connectivity, fintech, and digital infrastructure, with Toriola’s dual mandate serving as a strategic pivot to unify growth across Anglophone and Francophone regions.