On a historic night where the world’s most influential voices of African descent gathered in Lagos, MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola delivered a stirring call to action, declaring that the era of others telling Africa’s story is officially over.
Accepting the prestigious ‘CEO of the Year’ award at the 2025 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Recognition Ceremony, on December 21, 20205, Toriola used his platform to frame Africa not as a continent of deficit, but as a powerhouse of global authors, architects, and innovators.
“For decades, stories about Africa were told about us, but rarely by us,” Toriola noted, reflecting on the historical narratives of conflict and need. Pointing to the tech leaders, financiers, and artists in the room, he stated emphatically, “We are no longer the subjects of the story; we are the authors. Africa’s time is now.”
He highlighted how African talent is now leading global organisations, while African art and Afrobeats are reshaping world culture, creating a magnetic pull that is drawing the Diaspora back with not just emotion, but investment.
Toriola grounded his vision in the remarkable journey of MTN Nigeria. He reminded the audience of a reality that now sounds like fiction: a time when a nation of 120 million people was silenced by a lack of infrastructure, possessing fewer than 500,000 telephone lines. “When MTN entered the market in 2001, global analysts were skeptical. They said the people were too poor to afford mobile phones,” he recalled. “They were wrong. They underestimated the Nigerian spirit.” Since that first historic call in May 2001, MTN has grown to connect over 84 million subscribers, building what Toriola described as the “digital nervous system” of Nigeria’s economy.
Closing with a powerful message for the global community, Toriola asserted that Nigeria’s resilience makes it uniquely investable and scalable. He dedicated the award to the “real heroes” – the thousands of MTN employees, from engineers climbing masts to customer service representatives on the frontlines.
As MTN enters its 25th year of operation in 2026, Toriola issued a renewed pledge: “We are going nowhere. We are rooted in the soil of Nigeria and of Africa.” He concluded with an invitation to the global elite: to move beyond being just influential and become the continent’s “Most Impactful Builders.”
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