Professional Background:  

Karl Toriola is an accomplished telecommunications executive with extensive experience across engineering, operations, and executive leadership within Africa’s dynamic mobile industry. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria since 2021 and Vice President for Francophone Africa, driving the Group’s strategic focus on regional growth, operational excellence, and digital transformation. 

Karl joined MTN in 2006 and has held a range of senior leadership roles across the Group, including Chief Executive Officer of MTN Cameroon and Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria. Before his current appointment, he served as Vice President for MTN’s West and Central Africa Region, where he was responsible for overseeing performance across multiple markets and advancing cross-border synergies in network, commercial and digital operations. 

Prior to joining MTN, Karl gained diverse international experience with leading telecommunications companies. He served as Chief Operations Officer at Airtel Nigeria and held several engineering and managerial positions at Ericsson in Switzerland and Nigeria. His deep technical foundation and leadership acumen have positioned him as one of the continent’s most respected voices in telecommunications and enterprise innovation. 

Karl is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and a member of both the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and the Institute of Directors (IoD). In 2024, he was appointed as Patron of the Lagos International Theatre Festival, reflecting his commitment to the broader development of culture and creativity in Nigeria. He also serves as a director on several Boards within the MTN Group. 

Qualifications 

Karl holds a BSc (Hons) in Electronic and Electrical Engineering and an MSc in Communication Systems from Swansea University in the United Kingdom. He has completed the General Management Programme at Harvard Business School, the Corporate Finance Programme at London Business School, the Breakthrough Programme for Senior Executives at IMD, and an Executive Programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business.