Telecommunications infrastructure executive Sanjay Singh has described MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Karl Toriola as a “master orchestrator”, citing what he called the consistency of the company’s culture from its security desk to the boardroom.

Singh, Managing Director of M-P Infrastructure (MPI), made the observation in a LinkedIn post marking MTN Nigeria’s 25th anniversary, where he reflected on his experience with the telecommunications company and its leadership.

“There is something remarkable about an organisation where you can experience its culture from the security guard at the entrance to the Chairman of the Board,” Singh wrote.

And explained, “That was my experience of MTN Nigeria.”

He said his assessment of a chief executive should extend beyond conventional indicators such as financial results, market share and corporate strategy to include the culture that exists across an organisation.

“From Victor at security to the Chairman of the Board, I encountered professionalism, humility, courtesy, pride and a genuine sense of purpose,” Singh further shared, insisting, “That does not happen by accident. It is why I describe Karl Toriola as a master orchestrator.”

His comments come as MTN Nigeria marks 25 years since commencing commercial operations in Nigeria in 2001.

The company has grown substantially over that period. Nigerian Communications Commission data showed that MTN had 100.86 million active subscriptions in July 2026, giving it 51.76 per cent of the country’s active mobile subscription market. Total active mobile subscriptions stood at 195.1 million that month.

The latest milestone followed an increase of about 2.22 million active subscriptions between June and July, according to the NCC figures reported at the time.

At group level, MTN Nigeria also accounted for a substantial share of MTN Group’s 2025 financial performance. MTN Group’s full-year results put Nigeria’s contribution to group service revenue at 28.1 per cent, while its EBITDA before once-off items represented 33 per cent of the group’s total. Nigerian service revenue rose 54.9 per cent on a constant-currency basis, while EBITDA before once-off items increased 108.4 per cent.

Toriola has led MTN Nigeria since 2021, having previously served as the company’s chief technical officer and held other senior positions within the MTN Group, including chief executive of MTN Cameroon and vice president for the West and Central Africa region.
MTN says he joined the group in 2006 after earlier experience with Vmobile Nigeria and Ericsson.

Singh’s assessment comes from within the wider telecommunications infrastructure ecosystem. As managing director of M-P Infrastructure, his professional work covers telecom network deployment and infrastructure, including radio access networks, microwave systems, infrastructure maintenance and power solutions.

He used the analogy of an orchestra to explain his assessment of Toriola’s role, arguing that a chief executive does not personally perform every function within a large organisation but coordinates different people and responsibilities towards a common objective.

“Like the conductor of a great orchestra, a CEO does not play every instrument,” Singh wrote, providing context with “Each musician has a different instrument, a different role and a different responsibility.”

According to him, the leadership task is to bring those separate functions together and create a shared sense of purpose.

The observation places organisational culture alongside the more visible measures of MTN Nigeria’s expansion as the company marks its 25th year in the Nigerian market.

Toriola himself has previously described MTN Nigeria’s growth as a process of continuous evolution, with network expansion moving from an initial emphasis on coverage towards greater capacity, data services and the infrastructure required to support rising usage.

In a 2023 interview marking 20 years of GSM operations, he said the company had originally entered Nigeria with expectations of reaching only a few million customers, compared with the much larger subscriber base it subsequently achieved.

Singh, however, focused his anniversary reflection less on the size of the network than on the people operating it.

“Great CEOs deliver results,” he wrote.

Adding, “Exceptional leaders build cultures in which everyone understands that they have a part to play in delivering those results.”

He described the 25th anniversary as an opportunity to recognise not only the scale of MTN Nigeria’s operations but also the people and organisational culture behind the business.

“Well done, Dr. Karl Olutokun Toriola, and well done to the entire MTN Nigeria team. Happy 25th Anniversary!” he rounded off.