Female Leadership: MTN Nigeria Doubles Industry Average With 41.4%

MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced that women now constitute 41.4 percent of its leadership workforce, more than double the average representation across the country’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

The figure, up from 38.7 percent in 2023, was revealed in the company’s recently released 2024 annual report, reflecting MTN Nigeria’s accelerated strides in workplace diversity and gender equality under its “Ambition 2025” strategy.

Female representation has risen within its executive management team at approximately 46.7 percent, a significant milestone in a male-dominated industry long criticized for underrepresentation of women in top decision-making roles.

MTN Nigeria attributes this advancement to a suite of intentional policies and initiatives tailored to empower women within its workforce and the broader tech ecosystem. These include the “Women in Tech” program, which offers professional upskilling in in-demand areas such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Cyber Security.

Central to its diversity agenda is the “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme,” designed to help young mothers reintegrate into corporate careers after maternity-related breaks, providing both mentorship and flexible re-entry pathways.

The executive director of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.

Sanya, at a recent conference, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation.

“Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders,” she averred.

The company’s focus on inclusive governance was further underscored by accolades received by its company secretary, Uto Ukpanah, who won the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).

Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”

The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.

CEO of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Karl Olutokun Toriola, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.

“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It is directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”