MTN Nigeria Lifts Disability Inclusion to 2.13%, Reframes Workforce Diversity as Economic Strategy
MTN Nigeria has reported a measurable rise in the representation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) within its workforce, with inclusion levels increasing from 0.9 per cent in 2021 to 2.13 per cent in 2025—a shift the company describes not as charity, but as deliberate corporate investment and governance reform.
The disclosure was made at MTN Nigeria’s headquarters in Lagos during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), themed “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress.”
From CSR to Corporate Architecture
Speaking at the event, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, said the progress reflects a structural redesign of workforce policy, rather than isolated inclusion gestures. Represented by the General Manager, OE&P, Inyang Osazuwa, Akinnukawe described MTN’s diversity agenda as one rooted in investment discipline, accountability and long-term value creation.
Central to this approach is a formal “reasonable accommodation” framework, backed by capital expenditure on infrastructure upgrades—ranging from ramps and modified workstations to hearing loops in customer-facing centres. MTN has also embedded a dedicated disability segment within its customer lifecycle management system, ensuring inclusion spans both employment and service delivery.
“Our brand must speak to everyone,” Akinnukawe noted, emphasizing that accessibility is being designed into systems, not appended to them.
Digital Skills and the Talent Pipeline
Beyond internal employment, MTN reaffirmed its commitment to the IT Bridge Academy internship programme, now in its second year. The initiative is designed to bridge digital skills gaps for PWDs, strengthening employability across Nigeria’s broader labour market and aligning with the country’s digital economy ambitions.
For a sector defined by rapid technological change, MTN’s approach signals a growing recognition that digital inclusion is inseparable from talent sustainability.
‘Beyond Barriers’ as Market Logic
MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, described disability inclusion as a commercial and sustainability imperative, not a peripheral social programme. Represented by Chief Broadband Officer Egerton Idehen, Toriola pointed to estimates of over 35 million Nigerians living with visible or invisible disabilities, warning that systemic exclusion of this demographic represents a material economic loss.
“Inclusion is essential for innovation, growth and national development,” Toriola said, reaffirming MTN’s commitment to its “Beyond Barriers” roadmap as a core pillar of its 2025 corporate strategy—spanning digital platforms, physical workspaces and customer experience design.
Inclusion as a Rights-Based Standard
Adding policy depth to the conversation, Dolapo Agbede, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) expert, examined the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), urging Nigerian corporates to evolve from treating inclusion as a “nice-to-do” CSR activity to a “right-to-do” governance obligation.
Meanwhile, Tolani Ojuri, Lagos State Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, addressed workplace myths and stigmas surrounding albinism, calling for clearer policy safeguards to protect affected employees.
Personal testimonies from David Ubon, the event host and a PWD, and David Orinya, an MTN staff member living with disability, reinforced the internal culture narrative.
“My difference is not a barrier here—it is a unique perspective,” Orinya said.
BRANDECONOMY Insight
MTN Nigeria’s disability inclusion numbers may appear modest, but their significance lies in intent and structure. By embedding accessibility into capital planning, talent pipelines and digital systems, MTN is redefining inclusion as economic infrastructure, not philanthropy. In a market of 35 million Nigerians with disabilities, inclusion is no longer a moral argument—it is a growth strategy hiding in plain sight. Corporate Nigeria will eventually follow this logic, not out of virtue, but out of competitive necessity.
