Telecoms Guru, Karl Toriola disrupts the status quo

In October 2020 when MTN Nigeria announced Karl Olukotun Toriola as its Chief Executive Officer-designate, the announcement sparked curiosity and brought Toriola unaccustomed attention. Many started digging into the digital space to find answers about his personality. Aside from his sterling professional records, little was known about his personal life. His calm mien suggests there must be a lot to unpack about the man who was stepping in to manage Nigeria’s largest corporate organisation by revenue outside of the oil industry and the second-largest entity listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. When he finally assumed office on March 1, 2021, he bluntly announced his revolutionary intent to lead MTN Nigeria to deliver to the over 70 million customers that use its services increasing value and better services. True to his intent, Toriola has travelled so quickly to build a reputation as a tenacious go-getter and a true visionary who leads his team to deliver increasing value to customers just as shareholders also smile to the bank.

Over the course of the past year since the telecoms guru took over, MTN sold its first public offer which was oversubscribed by 139.5 per cent. He also won the 5G licence and in August 2022 became the only telecom company in West Africa to launch 5G for commercial use. And just recently, MTN’s nine-month profit surged in data revenue to N269 billion. The list is quite long. Toriola’s grit and understanding of the telecoms industry cannot be subjected to scrutiny. He has paid his dues. The Formula 1-freak, Modakeke, Osun State-Prince has been plugging away at this industry for 27 straight years and never flirted with other career paths outside the telecom industry, since starting his career with Ericsson. That was after obtaining his Master’s degree in Communication Systems from the University of Wales, the United Kingdom. To describe Toriola’s drive, relentless might be an appropriate word. His sight is set on bigger goals and many believe he’s not just consolidating the success; he’s setting the bar so high for himself and the company.