MTN Nigeria has reported a rise in the number of persons with disabilities working within the company, signalling stronger efforts to promote inclusion. The telecoms firm revealed that representation of employees with disabilities increased from 0.9 per cent in 2021 to 2.13 per cent in 2025, as part of its yearly assessment and ongoing strategy to build a more diverse workforce.
The announcement was made at the company’s headquarters in Lagos during activities to mark the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD). The event, held under the theme “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” provided a platform for MTN’s leadership and experts to explain how inclusion is being embedded into its operations.
Esther Akinnukawe, Chief Human Resources Officer at MTN Nigeria, said the improvement in disability representation was the result of deliberate structural reforms rather than isolated acts of charity. She described the company’s diversity agenda as one based on “investment and accountability”.
Ms Akinnukawe explained that MTN has introduced a “reasonable accommodation” framework to support employees with disabilities. This includes capital investments in physical infrastructure such as ramps, modified workspaces, and hearing loops at customer-facing centres. The company has also integrated a dedicated segment for disability needs into its customer lifecycle systems to ensure services are accessible to all.
Alongside workforce changes, MTN continues the IT Bridge Academy internship, now in its second year. The programme aims to help bridge the digital skills gap for persons with disabilities entering the broader labour market.
Representing MTN’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, the company’s Chief Broadband Officer, Egerton Idehen, explained that MTN’s “Beyond Barriers” plan is not just a corporate project but a sustainability imperative. He highlighted that an estimated 35 million Nigerians live with visible or invisible disabilities and said excluding this group from economic participation represents a significant loss for the nation.
A keynote speaker on diversity, equity and inclusion underscored the need for private sector companies to move beyond seeing disability inclusion as a corporate social responsibility activity and instead treat it as a core governance standard aligned with human rights obligations.
The forum also included contributions from disability advocates who discussed workplace stigma and called for specific policy reforms to protect employees with conditions such as albinism. An MTN staff member with a disability shared his positive experience of working in an environment where his differences are regarded as strengths rather than barriers.
MTN concluded the event by reaffirming its commitment to the Beyond Barriers roadmap, with plans to continue improving accessibility in both physical and digital workspaces as a central part of its corporate strategy for 2025 and beyond.
