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MTN announces management shakeup to support Ambition 2025

By , ITWeb
Africa , Nigeria , 23 Mar 2022

MTN Group has appointed Hassan Jaber, COO of MTN Irancell, as COO of MTN Nigeria, and announced new leadership at its Iran and Sudan operations.

According to a statement released by the company, Malik Melamu, with over 28 years of managerial and executive experience, will assume the position of MTN Irancell COO, joining from MTN Sudan. Stepping into the CEO role at MTN Sudan is Ziad Sabah, whose career within MTN spans more than a decade, most recently as MTN Syria CEO and before that as the Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Syria.

MTN said Jaber’s track record of building and scaling-up telecom operations and developing digital businesses through the power of mobile technology “will be instrumental to MTN Nigeria as it plays its part in delivering on the Group’s strategic intent of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

He has served MTN in numerous markets, including Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.

MTN added that the appointments are effective 1 April 2022 and form part of the company’s strategy to “drive growth, de-leverage faster and reveal value in our Fintech and fibre businesses.”

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, said, “A vital enabler of our strategy is having the best talent, culture and future-fit skills. Today’s announcement demonstrates the depth of talent within the Group, as well as the strength of our succession planning.”

“These appointments demonstrate the depth of leadership bench-strength within the MTN Group, and we remain focused on delivering sustainable growth to our stakeholders. Nigeria, Iran and Sudan are markets with attractive demographics and tremendous potential growth opportunities for digital and financial inclusion.”

Nigeria key to Group’s health

In March the MTN Group hosted MTN Nigeria Chairman Ernest Ndukwe and MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola at meeting in Johannesburg.

The operator reaffirmed its commitment to the Nigerian operation, one if its two biggest markets.

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas said the trip from the Group’s Nigerian colleagues was productive: “It has been a fruitful two days in which, together with our Nigeria team, we were able to unpack our plans in Nigeria and how these align to the Group’s strategic intent of providing leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

Ndukwe said MTN Nigeria was committed to that country’s socio-economic development: “MTN Nigeria believes that we should not only provide a service to customers, but also deepen connectivity access as well as drive financial inclusion. To this end, for 2022 MTN Nigeria intends to ensure the connectivity of an additional 2 000 rural communities and has secured 100 MHz of 3500 spectrum to enable Nigeria’s move to 5G.”

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