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MTN Nigeria’s Ikenna Ikeme elevated to MTN Group regulatory affairs – Technology Times
MTN Nigeria regulatory affairs chief, Ikenna Ikeme, has been appointed Executive: Group Regulatory Affairs at MTN Group, placing the Nigerian telecoms regulatory specialist at the centre of the group’s regulatory agenda across its African markets.
MTN Group announced today in a statement seen by Technology Times that Ikeme will assume the new role on September 7, 2026, as the telecoms group strengthens its executive leadership to support the execution of its Ambition 2030 strategy.
With more than 30 years of experience spanning telecommunications, banking and insurance, Ikeme brings extensive expertise in regulatory affairs, public policy, compliance, stakeholder engagement and business transformation to the group-level position.
He currently serves as General Manager: Regulatory Affairs at MTN Nigeria and is recognised as one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications regulatory professionals.
During his career, Ikeme has led and supported a range of landmark industry initiatives, including regulatory approvals for spectrum transactions, national roaming arrangements, 5G licensing, infrastructure sharing and mobile virtual network operator partnerships.
He has also played a key role in shaping regulatory frameworks designed to enable industry growth while safeguarding the interests of consumers and other stakeholders.
Ikenna Ikeme takes group regulatory mandate
In his new role, Ikeme will provide strategic leadership across MTN Group’s regulatory agenda, working closely with the Group Legal and Regulatory Affairs office and teams across MTN’s markets.
His responsibilities will include strengthening regulatory governance, managing regulatory risks, driving policy advocacy, supporting strategic business initiatives, and fostering strong relationships with regulators and key stakeholders.
The appointment comes as MTN operates across an increasingly dynamic and competitive regulatory environment in Africa, where issues including spectrum, infrastructure sharing, market competition, digital services and consumer protection remain critical to telecoms growth.
Ikeme’s experience in Nigeria gives him exposure to several of these regulatory issues, including the approval and implementation of major industry initiatives involving spectrum transactions, 5G, national roaming, infrastructure sharing and mobile virtual network operators.
MTN Group said the appointment would strengthen its regulatory leadership and bring further depth and experience to its efforts to navigate the evolving operational and regulatory landscape across Africa.
From MTN Nigeria to group leadership
Ikeme’s elevation follows his tenure leading regulatory affairs at MTN Nigeria, one of the group’s most important operating companies.
His career spans more than three decades across three sectors, telecommunications, banking and insurance, giving him experience in regulatory environments extending beyond the communications industry.
An accomplished legal and business professional, Ikeme holds an MBA from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
He is also a qualified Barrister-at-Law, has completed the Advanced Management Programme at MIT Sloan School of Management, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (Europe).
His new group-level mandate will require him to work across MTN’s operating markets while coordinating with regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders to manage regulatory risks and support the group’s strategic priorities.
MTN appoints Francophone markets operations chief
Alongside Ikeme’s appointment, MTN Group has announced the appointment of Ashutosh Tiwary as Operations Executive: Francophone Markets, effective September 1, 2026.
Tiwary brings more than 27 years of telecommunications leadership experience spanning Africa and India, with a track record in growth, transformation, operational excellence and business turnarounds across diverse and competitive markets.
He has held several executive leadership roles within MTN, starting in South Africa as GM: Prepaid Consumer Business, where he played a crucial role in stabilising and growing the prepaid consumer business.
He was later appointed Acting CEO of MTN Guinea Bissau, where he successfully delivered on the executive mandate of turning around the business and subsequently helped with the portfolio optimisation strategy that led to the eventual sale of the business.
In his most recent assignment as GM: Customer Operations, Tiwary worked with the MTN Group Home Broadband Business team to build and scale customer operations through operational excellence programmes.
In his new role, Tiwary will serve as a strategic and operational lead for MTN’s Francophone markets, supporting strategic priorities, driving operational and commercial excellence, strengthening governance and enabling sustainable growth across Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Congo Brazzaville.
He will also work closely with Opco leadership teams to ensure alignment with Group priorities while supporting high-performance execution across the region.
MTN said Tiwary’s extensive leadership experience, deep understanding of African telecoms markets and proven ability to drive transformation and performance position him to support the continued growth and success of the group’s Francophone operations.
The appointments of Tiwary and Ikeme, according to the telecoms group, strengthen MTN Group’s operations and regulatory leadership as the company continues to execute its Ambition 2030 strategy and navigate an increasingly dynamic and competitive operational and regulatory landscape across Africa.
News
“Talent Alone Is Not Enough” — Ebi Egbe Questions Super Eagles’ Preparation for Madagascar Clash
Sports facilities expert and Monimichelle Sports CEO Ebi Egbe has raised questions over the Super Eagles’ preparation for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar, insisting that Nigeria must prepare for the specific playing conditions they will encounter rather than depend solely on the quality of their Europe-based stars.
Nigeria will open their qualifying campaign against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 25, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
But for Egbe, assembling talented players is only one part of preparing properly for an international fixture.
“The key issue is not simply whether Nigeria has talented footballers. It is whether the coaching and technical teams have adequately prepared those footballers for the actual match conditions,” Egbe said.
Speaking from his experience as a professional groundsman, Egbe argued that footballers accustomed to carefully maintained European pitches can encounter different technical and physical demands when playing on surfaces where ball movement, traction, levels and bounce may differ.
He stressed that his argument should not be interpreted to mean Europe-based players are incapable of performing effectively in African conditions.
Instead, Egbe believes the coaching staff must ensure their preparation takes account of the environment in which matches will actually be played.
“A player performing exceptionally well on a carefully maintained European pitch may face a different technical and physical challenge on an African playing surface with inconsistent ball roll, uneven levels, variable traction or unpredictable ball bounce,” he said.
Head coach Éric Chelle has selected a squad featuring established Europe-based players including Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon for the opening qualifiers.
For Egbe, however, individual quality should be complemented by preparation tailored to the conditions.
His question ahead of Madagascar is therefore straightforward: are the Super Eagles merely assembling their best players, or preparing those players for the exact environment in which Nigeria’s AFCON campaign will begin?
Nigerian Army troops arrested 47 suspected criminals, rescued several kidnapped victims and killed a suspected terrorist in nationwide operations in the last 24 hours.
The troops also recovered suspected stolen and rustled livestock, detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) and disrupted criminal activities across Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Plateau, Anambra, Imo and Kaduna states.
An operational report released on Saturday said troops of Operation MESA arrested the 47 suspects during a raid in Nasarawa State.
The report said troops of the 177 Guards Battalion, in conjunction with the State Security Service (SSS), police, and a civilian joint task force, raided suspected criminal hideouts at Tipper Garage and Gidan Drama in Karu Local Government Area of the state.
It said the troops recovered two motorcycles, an unspecified quantity of suspected cannabis, 32 mobile phones, a laptop and charger, four wristwatches, five power banks and an ATM card.
According to the report, the troops handed over the suspects and recovered items to the police division in Karu for further investigation.
In Zamfara, the report said the troops of Operation Fansan Yamma rescued three civilians who sustained gunshot wounds after engaging terrorists along the Dampo-Rumba Road in Bakura Local Government Area.
It added that the victims were evacuated to the General Hospital in Bakura for medical attention.
According to the report, troops responding to a kidnapping incident along the Dandume-Damari Road in Katsina also engaged the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their victims and flee.
“The troops recovered one vehicle during the operation.
“Similarly, troops responding to terrorist activities along the Isa-Girnashe Road in Sokoto rescued two kidnapped victims after engaging the terrorists.
“One of the victims, however, was confirmed dead from gunshot wounds.
“The troops also intercepted five trucks conveying 117 cows, two donkeys, one goat and five cow skins suspected to have been stolen at Magami in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara.
“The recovered livestock were handed over to the Chairman, Committee on Recovery of Rustled Cattle, Gusau, for further action.
“In another operation in Tsafe, Zamfara, troops intercepted a suspected stolen vehicle with the support of the National Security Adviser’s tracking team.
“The driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle and fled after being intercepted, while the vehicle was recovered to the unit headquarters for further action,” it said.
In Niger, the report revealed that troops of Operation Savannah Shield discovered and safely detonated an IED along the Dekara-Gewazi Road in Borgu Local Government Area.
It added that troops of Operation Enduring Peace neutralised a suspected terrorist during an offensive operation at Ungwan Nungu in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna.
The report further revealed that troops engaged the suspects, killing one while others fled the scene.
“At Yangwari Market in Mangu Local Government Area, troops intervened after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle conveying passengers and foodstuffs.
“Eight passengers who sustained gunshot wounds were evacuated to Allah-na-Kowa Hospital, where three were confirmed dead while others received treatment,” it added.
In the South-East, the report said the troops of Operation Udo Ka arrested suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) during offensive operations along the Azia-Uli-Okija axis.
It added that three suspects were apprehended while attempting to escape through Orsu-Ihiteukwa in Imo, but one was killed while trying to evade arrest.
According to the report, the remaining suspects were handed over to the SSS for further action.
“Troops also arrested two suspected IPOB/ESN members at Azia, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, following intelligence linking them with the group’s activities.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to delivering items to terrorists on two occasions and remained in military custody for further action.
“In Imo, troops conducting anti-illegal bunkering operations discovered an illegal refining site containing about 720 litres of illegally refined crude oil and 41 cooking drums at Egbema.
“All recovered items were handled in line with extant regulations,” it said.
(NAN)
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