MTN Nigeria has recorded a significant improvement in the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) within its workforce, with representation rising from 0.9 per cent in 2021 to 2.13 per cent in 2025—an increase the company says reflects deliberate structural reforms rather than symbolic gestures.
The disclosure was made at MTN Nigeria’s headquarters in Lagos during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), an event that brought together corporate leaders, disability advocates, and policy experts to interrogate what genuine workplace inclusion looks like in Nigeria’s private sector.
Held under the theme “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” the forum provided MTN with a platform to detail how its disability inclusion strategy has moved beyond rhetoric into measurable outcomes.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, the General Manager, OE&P, Inyang Osazuwa, explained that the company’s progress is anchored on accountability, long-term investment, and systems-driven reform.
“This is not charity; it is investment and accountability,” Akinnukawe said, describing MTN’s diversity and inclusion agenda as one deliberately embedded into business operations rather than treated as a peripheral CSR initiative.
She revealed that the improved workforce representation is backed by a structured reasonable accommodation framework, which ensures that employees with disabilities have the tools and environments needed to thrive. These measures include the installation of ramps, modified workstations, hearing loops in customer-facing centres, and the integration of a dedicated disability segment within MTN’s customer lifecycle management system.
“Our brand must speak to everyone,” she stated, noting that accessibility is increasingly being treated as a core business requirement, not an afterthought.
Akinnukawe also highlighted the continuity of the IT Bridge Academy internship programme, now in its second year, which focuses on equipping persons with disabilities with digital and technical skills to compete effectively in the broader labour market. According to her, the programme reflects MTN’s recognition that inclusion must extend beyond employment numbers to capacity building and long-term career pathways.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, Chief Broadband Officer, Egerton Idehen, framed disability inclusion as a sustainability and growth imperative. He referenced estimates suggesting that over 35 million Nigerians live with visible or invisible disabilities, arguing that their systematic exclusion represents a major economic and innovation gap.
“Inclusion is essential for innovation, growth, and national development,” Idehen said. “When a significant portion of the population is excluded, the economy loses talent, creativity, and productivity.”
He noted that MTN’s Beyond Barriers plan is designed to address these gaps by embedding accessibility across digital services, physical infrastructure, and internal workplace culture—ensuring that persons with disabilities are not only employed but fully integrated.
The conversation extended beyond statistics to the often-overlooked realities of workplace culture and governance. Delivering the keynote address, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) expert, Dolapo Agbede, examined the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), challenging Nigerian companies to rethink how they frame disability inclusion.
Agbede urged the private sector to move away from treating inclusion as a “nice-to-do” corporate social responsibility activity and instead adopt it as a “right-to-do” governance standard rooted in human rights and equality.
Adding a lived-experience dimension to the discourse, Lagos State Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria, Tolani Ojuri, led a session addressing myths, misconceptions, and workplace stigmas surrounding albinism. He called for targeted policies that protect employees with albinism from discrimination, particularly in areas such as workplace safety, health accommodations, and career progression.
The session was moderated by host David Ubon, who reinforced the importance of reasonable accommodation through personal reflection. Ubon shared how simple visual aids during his primary school education enabled him to excel academically, arguing that such accommodations often mark the difference between exclusion and exceptional performance.
“Sometimes, accommodation is all it takes to move from being sidelined to having no competition,” he said.
Providing internal validation of MTN’s inclusion claims, David Orinya, an MTN staff member with a disability, offered insight into the company’s workplace environment.
“My difference is not a barrier here; it is a unique perspective,” Orinya told participants, drawing applause from the audience.
The event concluded with MTN’s leadership reaffirming its commitment to the Beyond Barriers roadmap, signalling that accessibility—across digital platforms, physical workspaces, and corporate culture—will remain a central pillar of the company’s 2025 strategy.
As Nigeria’s private sector grapples with the realities of diversity and inclusion, MTN’s evolving approach positions disability inclusion not merely as a moral obligation, but as a strategic lever for innovation, competitiveness, and social progress.
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