Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s chief executive officer, has said the telecoms giant remains committed to staying at the forefront of technological innovation across the continent despite macroeconomic headwinds and rising operational costs.
He stated this while speaking at MTN Nigeria’s Customer Engagement Day 2025, themed ‘We See You, We Are With You’, in Lagos, on Wednesday.
Toriola highlighted the company’s pioneering milestones in the Nigerian telecoms sector, including being the first to launch 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, and rolling out a robust fiber-optic backbone.
“We are proud to always be at the forefront of technology evolution. We were the first to launch 3G, 4G, 5G, and to roll out a fiber backbone. We just launched our data centre, which will eventually be the largest in West Africa,” he stated.
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His remarks come at a time when the telecommunications sector is grappling with rising inflation, high interest rates, and foreign exchange volatility caused by the devaluation of the Naira.
“Nigeria still has one of the lowest telecom tariffs in the world. Last year, the telecom industry was on its heels. Today, we are still in negative equity as a result of the devaluation of the Naira. Despite that, our commitment is to continue providing value for money,” Toriola noted.
Ayham Moussa, chief operating officer of MTN Nigeria, emphasised MTN’s continental growth, which is now spanning over 300 million subscribers.
“Nigeria is one of our most important markets. We share a purpose and a dream with business owners, young people, and entrepreneurs. Every day, we think about how we can make your life better. Our new FibreX product aims to connect more homes with high-speed, reliable internet.”
Ugonwa Nwoye, chief customer relations and experience officer, stated that data remains central to Nigeria’s digital lifestyle.
“Data is the new oil. Without a data-enabled phone, one can feel isolated. We were the first to introduce 5G in Nigeria, and our fibre solutions now allow for unlimited data. We are doing everything possible to improve digital access,” Nwoye said.
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As MTN doubles down on investments in data infrastructure and customer-centric innovation, Toriola noted that staying ahead in technology is non-negotiable, even in the face of economic turbulence.
“Our goal is to power the future of Nigeria through reliable, accessible, and affordable technology,” he stated.
