MTN Nigeria, Africa’s leading telecommunications company, has appointed Mr. Karl Toriola as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) designate.

In a statement released on the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s website, the company said the appointment is effective from the 1st of March 2021 to give enough time for an orderly handover.

According to the company, Mr. Toriola is presently the Vice President of West and Central Africa (WECA), excluding Nigeria and Ghana, since 2016.

The statement reads “During his tenure, the WECA markets have made significant commercial and strategic strides. These include the improvement of market shares within the region and the development of mobile financial services.

“Since joining the Group in 2006, Mr. Toriola has also held a number of senior operational roles including Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, CEO of MTN Cameroon and MTN Group Operations Executive. Mr. Toriola has at various times in his career in MTN Group, had oversight responsibility of 16 of the Group subsidiaries and serves on various MTN boards, including MTN Nigeria.

“Mr. Toriola obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Ife, a Master of Science degree in Communication Systems from the University of Wales, and attended the General Management Program at Harvard Business School. In addition, he has attended several executive development courses at various institutions including Wharton Business School, Institute of Management Development and London Business School.”