MTN Group has announced the appointment of MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mohammed Rufai, as the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Congo-Brazaville.
The appointment, which came as leadership reshuffling in the Group’s West Africa operations, will see the current CEO of MTN Congo-Brazzaville, Ayham Moussa, move to MTN Nigeria as Chief Operations Officer (COO).
According to a statement from the Group, Rufai will resume in Congo-Brazzaville on September 1, while Moussa is expected to resume in Nigeria on August 19, 2024.
MTN Group also announced the voluntary early retirement of MTN Côte d’Ivoire CEO Djibril Ouattara and the departure of MTN Nigeria COO Hassan Jabber.
Rufai’s career
MTN described Rufai as 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 subsequently moved to MTN Ghana, where he became Chief Technical Officer in 2015.
“Currently, he serves as the Chief Technical Officer at MTN Nigeria. Mohammed 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.
“A driven leader, Mohammed is passionate about execution excellence, people development, and customer experience,” MTN stated.
Academic background
Rufai holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science and certifications in Advanced Management and General Management. He is an alumnus of Lagos Business School, Cranfield University, UK, and the University of Cambridge, UK.
The new COO at MTN Nigeria
According to MTN Moussa will be replacing Hassan Jabber, the current COO of MTN Nigeria, who is leaving the company.
Moussa first 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, Ayham played a key role in the country’s digital evolution from 2G to 4G, establishing MTN Congo-Brazzaville as a technology leader.
“His team’s efforts were recognised with awards for the best network in West and Central Africa and the MTN Group.
“As CEO, Ayham expanded MTN Congo’s leadership and business health, accelerating growth, margins, and operational excellence, while fostering strong relationships with various local stakeholders,” MTN stated.
Meanwhile, the Group President and CEO of MTN, Ralph Mupita, has commended the outgoing CEO of MTN Côte d’Ivoire, Djibril for his contribution 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 the outgoing MTN Nigeria COO, Hassan for his immense contribution to the success of the Group over 22 years, where his roles included CEO in markets such as Sudan, Guinea-Conakry and Afghanistan.