MTN Nigeria deepens disability Inclusion

MTN Nigeria has reported a measurable uptick in the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) within its workforce, climbing from 0.9 per cent in 2021 to 2.13 per cent in 2025. The disclosure was made at the company’s headquarters during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD).

The event, with “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” served as a platform for the telecommunications giant to outline the operational realities of its diversity mandate.

Chief Human Resources Officer at MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe, situated the growth within a broader framework of structural reform rather than distinct charitable acts.

Describing the company’s diversity agenda as one of “investment and accountability,” Akinnukawe noted that the workforce gains are supported by a structured ‘reasonable accommodation’ framework.

“Our brand must speak to everyone,” Akinnukawe who was represented by GM OE&P,  Inyang Osazuwa stated, detailing capital investments in facility upgrades, including ramps, modified workspaces, and hearing loops in customer-facing centres, alongside the integration of a dedicated disability segment in the company’s customer lifecycle system.

She further highlighted the continuity of the IT Bridge Academy internship, now in its second year, designed to bridge the digital skills gap for PWDs in the wider labour market.

 Chief Broadband Officer, Egerton Idehen, who represented CEO Karl Toriola framed the company’s Beyond Barriers plan as a sustainability imperative necessary to serve a market segment often overlooked by corporate Nigeria. Egerton referenced the estimated 35 million Nigerians living with visible or invisible disabilities, arguing that their exclusion represents a significant economic loss.

“Inclusion is essential for innovation, growth, and national development,” Egerton noted.

The forum moved beyond metrics to address the nuances of corporate culture. Dolapo Agbede, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) expert, delivered a keynote dissecting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Agbede challenged the private sector to transition from viewing inclusion as a “nice-to-do” CSR activity to a “right-to-do” governance standard.

The dialogue was further deepened by Lagos State Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Tolani Ojuri, who led a session on the myths and workplace stigmas surrounding albinism, calling for specific policy reforms to protect employees with the condition. This narrative was actively driven by host David Ubon, who substantiated the call for inclusion with personal claims, asserting that reasonable accommodations, such as the visual aids that allowed him to become the “best in the class” during primary school—are often the only difference between exclusion and having “no competition” in performance.”

Validating the company’s internal culture claims, David Orinya, an MTN staff member, offered a perspective on the operational environment. “My difference is not a barrier here, it is a unique perspective,” Orinya told the audience.

MTN’s leadership concluded the session by reaffirming its commitment to the Beyond Barriers roadmap, signaling that the push for accessibility, in both digital infrastructure and physical workspaces, will remain a core pillar of its 2025 corporate strategy.

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