MTN Group, Africa’s biggest mobile operator, has made executive changes in its West African operations.
The company announced the appointment of Mohammed Rufai as chief executive officer (CEO) of MTN Congo-Brazzaville and Ayham Moussa as chief operations officer (COO) of MTN Nigeria, effective 1 September and 19 August, respectively.
The South African-headquartered company also announced the voluntary early retirement of MTN Côte d’Ivoire CEO Djibril Ouattara and the departure of MTN Nigeria COO Hassan Jabber.
According to the mobile operator, Rufai is an accomplished professional with over 24 years of experience in ICT and an impressive track record in the telecoms industry. He joined MTN Nigeria in 2002 and moved to MTN Ghana, where he became chief technical officer in 2015.
Currently, he serves as chief technical officer at MTN Nigeria. MTN notes that Rufai has held various senior roles across the MTN Group, including regional CTIO for Southeast Africa and Ghana. He also serves on the board of directors of Bayobab (Nigeria) and MTN Benin.
He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science and certifications in Advanced Management and General Management, and is an alumnus of Lagos Business School, Cranfield University, UK, and the University of Cambridge, UK.
Rufai takes the reins at MTN Congo-Brazzaville from Moussa, who joins the MTN Nigeria executive leadership team as COO.
Moussa replaces Jabber, who is leaving MTN. He joined MTN in 2002, returned in 2006 after a brief hiatus, and has since served the organisation in various markets, including Syria and Guinea-Conakry. He has held senior roles, such as chief information officer, chief technical and information officer, and CEO of MTN Congo-Brazzaville.
In his technology roles, MTN notes, Moussa played a key role in the country’s digital evolution from 2G to 4G, establishing MTN Congo-Brazzaville as a technology leader.
MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita thanked Ouattara for his contributions over nearly nine years at MTN, saying he had been instrumental in building the business in Congo-Brazzaville and leading the turnaround of MTN Côte d’Ivoire.
He also thanked Jabber for his immense contribution to the group’s success over 22 years, during which time his roles included CEO in markets such as Sudan, Guinea-Conakry, and Afghanistan.
“On behalf of the MTN Group board and group exco, I wish Djibril and Hassan well in their future endeavours. I also congratulate Ayham and Mohammed on their appointments and wish them success in their new roles,” he says.
