MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola says the telecommunications company is “a Nigerian company through and through,” arguing that its ownership extends beyond South Africa to include hundreds of thousands of Nigerian shareholders.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Toriola also addressed concerns over recent telecom tariff increases, poor network quality and complaints about rapid mobile data consumption.
‘MTN Nigeria belongs to Nigerians’
Toriola said although MTN Group was founded in South Africa, its ownership is spread across investors from different regions of the world.
He added that MTN Nigeria is incorporated in Nigeria, listed on the Nigerian Exchange and pays taxes and regulatory fees in the country.
According to him, the company also has significant Nigerian ownership.
“MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian company through and through. We are domiciled in Nigeria. We are listed on the Nigerian Exchange. We pay all the taxes, duties and levies expected of us, and we are run by Nigerians.”
Toriola said more than 201,000 retail investors directly own MTN Nigeria shares, while about 11 million Nigerians have indirect ownership through pension fund investments.
He also noted that, apart from one executive, members of MTN Nigeria’s executive committee are Nigerians.
Why MTN supported the tariff increase
The MTN CEO said the recent increase in telecom tariffs was necessary to keep operators financially sustainable rather than to boost profits.
According to him, operators had struggled to meet operating costs before the adjustment.
“The tariff adjustment was an absolute necessity. It enabled us to stay alive.”
Toriola said the company has since increased investment in network infrastructure.
He disclosed that MTN’s capital expenditure rose from about ₦250 billion in 2024 to approximately ₦1 trillion in 2025, adding that the company spent ₦390 billion on capital projects in the first quarter of 2025.
CEO explains network challenges
Addressing complaints about network quality, Toriola said several factors continue to affect service delivery.
He cited:
- Fibre cuts during road construction.
- Vandalism of telecom infrastructure.
- Security challenges affecting maintenance.
- Rapid growth in data demand.
- Nigeria’s unreliable electricity supply.
According to him, MTN operates about 18,000 network sites, many of which rely on generators because of inconsistent power supply.
He said the company remains committed to improving service quality through continued investment.
Why mobile data seems to finish quickly
Toriola also responded to complaints that subscribers’ mobile data depletes faster than expected.
He rejected claims that MTN deliberately consumes customers’ data.
Instead, he said background applications—including cloud backup services and messaging apps—often use mobile data automatically when Wi-Fi is unavailable.
He advised subscribers to review their smartphone settings and configure automatic backups to run over Wi-Fi where possible…..See More
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