MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola has declared that the era of outsiders telling Africa’s story is over, positioning the continent as a global powerhouse of authors, architects, and innovators.
MTN Nigeria
Toriola made the remarks while accepting the ‘CEO of the Year’ award at the 2025 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Recognition Ceremony in Lagos.
“For decades, stories about Africa were told about us, but rarely by us,” he said, rejecting outdated narratives of conflict and need. “We are no longer the subjects of the story; we are the authors. Africa’s time is now.”
He spotlighted African talent now leading global organisations, alongside Afrobeats and art reshaping world culture, drawing the Diaspora home with investments, not just emotions.
Toriola anchored his vision in MTN Nigeria’s journey, recalling a time when Nigeria’s 120 million people shared fewer than 500,000 telephone lines. “When MTN entered in 2001, analysts said Nigerians were too poor for mobile phones. They were wrong. They underestimated the Nigerian spirit,” he said.
From that first call in May 2001, MTN has connected over 84 million subscribers, building Nigeria’s “digital nervous system.”
He described Nigeria as uniquely investable due to its resilience and scalability, dedicating the award to MTN’s “real heroes”—engineers scaling masts and frontline customer service staff.
As MTN marks 25 years in 2026, Toriola pledged: “We are going nowhere. We are rooted in the soil of Nigeria and Africa.” He urged global elites to become the continent’s “Most Impactful Builders.”
