While the Nigerian authorities are stonewalling MTN’s attempts to get a full mobile-money licence – potentially of one of the last great growth markets on the continent – this was not enough to persuade Mupita and his team to bet big on a licence in Ethiopia this year, after they lost out in a first round to Safaricom.
Mupita says he is planning to continue a divestment programme worth about $1.6bn over the next three to five years.
He ranks ninth in our list of Top African Digital Leaders
Focus on Nigeria
MTN is planning to get out of operations outside of its main focus in Africa, meaning that Nigeria is likely to be centre stage for the telco. But the relationship with the authorities in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, have been fraught over the years and there are no signs of a long-term rapprochement.
Mupita became CEO of the group on 1 September 2020, taking over from the long-serving
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