MTN Nigeria Wins Outstanding Gender Leader Award

Nigeria’s leading mobile network operator, MTN has been adjudged winner of this year’s Nigeria2Equal Gender Leader Awards held in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Organized by the Nigerian Ex­change (NGX) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) the Gen­der Leader Awards salute leading performers in the arena of gender equality.

MTN Nigeria emerged as the star performer of the evening, claiming the coveted Outstanding Gender Leader Award, and establishing it­self as the top-performing performed company across all categories. The company also won Family-Friendly Workplace Excellence, Gender Equal­ity Champion, and Company Leader­ship Gender Diversity Awards.

These recognitions were based on MTN’s stellar performance, bench­marked against criteria set in the IFC’s Gender Equality in Nigeria’s Private Sector report.

Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, expressed delight at the recognition, stating, “Gender equality sits at the heart of our identity and organizational culture.

“Our mission at MTN Nigeria is to build not only a successful busi­ness but an inclusive one. This award underscores our belief that diversity is our strength.

“We believe that a diverse work­force catalyzes innovation and fuels our passion for driving change and enabling growth. Together, we are shaping a future where gender equal­ity is not an aspiration, but a reality.”

Adding to this, Chief Human Re­sources Officer, MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe noted, “At MTN Nige­ria, we understand that an empow­ered woman means an empowered community and, ultimately, a more prosperous nation. That’s why we don’t merely create policies to foster gender equality; we ingrain them into our cultural DNA.

“We believe in nurturing an en­vironment where the potential is rec­ognised and rewarded, irrespective of gender. This award reminds us that our dedication to gender equality makes a difference, and it motivates us to do even more for the betterment of our society.”

Ms. Dahlia Khalifa, IFC’s Regional Director for Central Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, while speaking about the Gender Leader Awards, said: “As we celebrate the accomplishments of these organiza­tions who have shown outstanding leadership in closing the gender gaps within their organizations, we acknowledge the power of collabora­tion and the transformative impact that specific, measurable, and time-bound commitments can have on achieving gender parity in Nigeria’s private sector. IFC remains resolute in our commitment to sustain the mo­mentum and scale up our efforts for a more gender-balanced, prosperous future.”