When Africa Global PR Week unveiled its Africa’s Top 100 Corporate Communication Leaders list, the strong presence of senior executives from MTN Group stood out as a defining moment not just for the individuals recognised, but for the telecommunications giant itself.
At a time when corporate credibility, stakeholder trust and authentic engagement have become critical currencies, MTN’s showing on the continental list signals the maturity and strategic depth of its communications function across Africa.
Corporate communications heads across MTN’s operations in Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, alongside leadership at Group level, made a strong showing on the prestigious list.
Among those honoured are MTN Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Nompilo Morafo; Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Senior Manager and Head of Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana; Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager for Brands and Communication at MTN Nigeria; and Melvin Akam, General Manager for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at MTN Cameroon.
The recognition celebrates professionals who shape corporate reputation, manage complexity and build trust across diverse markets, often working behind the scenes but delivering measurable impact.
For MTN, Africa’s largest mobile network operator, their inclusion on the list reinforces the company’s positioning as an organisation that understands communication not as a support function, but as a strategic pillar of business success.
A continental platform
The Africa’s Top 100 Corporate Communication Leaders list is compiled by Africa Global PR Week, a dynamic platform that champions the value of strategic communication, brand building and authentic storytelling.
The initiative challenges outdated misconceptions about public relations, while highlighting how communications and corporate affairs professionals contribute to governance, sustainability, crisis management and long-term value creation.
By featuring prominently on this list, MTN is effectively being positioned alongside Africa’s most forward-looking institutions—companies that recognise that reputation, purpose and stakeholder engagement are inseparable from commercial performance.
The breadth of MTN’s representation across multiple markets underscores the consistency of its communications philosophy throughout the Group.
Nompilo Morafo-MTN Group
At the centre of MTN’s recognition is Nompilo Morafo, the Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, whose inclusion reflects both her personal influence and the strategic importance of her role within the organisation.
Nompilo Morafo is an accomplished corporate affairs and sustainability leader with more than two decades of experience spanning financial services, mining, oil and gas and telecommunications.
She has served as MTN Group’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer since February 2022, having previously led the same portfolio as Group Executive.
In this role, she drives MTN’s sustainability and corporate citizenship agenda, focusing on critical areas such as decarbonisation, diversity and inclusion, stakeholder engagement, human rights protection and transparent reporting. Her mandate is to ensure that MTN’s business practices create long-term value while delivering positive societal impact, in line with the Group’s purpose of enabling shared prosperity across its markets.
Before joining MTN in 2019, Morafo held senior leadership roles in multinational organisations, including serving as Country Director for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at LafargeHolcim, and as Vice-President for Sasol’s International Exploration and Production business in Mozambique.
These roles equipped her with deep experience in managing reputation and transformation within complex, highly regulated environments.
Her academic background further strengthens her profile. Morafo holds a BTech in Business Communications from the Tshwane University of Technology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice from Henley Business School, and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. Her recognition on Africa’s Top 100 list positions her among the continent’s most influential corporate affairs leaders and elevates MTN’s image as a purpose-driven, sustainability-led organisation.
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu-MTN Ghana
For Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, the continental honour builds on an already strong national reputation and highlights the growing influence of Ghanaian communication professionals across Africa.
In both 2023 and 2024, she was named among the Top 10 Public Relations Practitioners in Ghana, cementing her status as one of the country’s most respected voices in strategic communications and reputation management.
As Senior Manager and Head of Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana, she oversees internal and external communications, media relations, stakeholder engagement, leadership communications and community relations.
Her responsibilities also include directing the communications strategy for the MTN Ghana Foundation and MTN Mobile Money Limited, two entities that sit at the core of MTN’s social impact and digital financial inclusion agenda.
In a market where mobile money is deeply woven into daily economic life, effective communication around trust, inclusion and innovation is critical, and her leadership has been central to sustaining public confidence.
Fiagbenu’s work has earned several accolades, including the GhanaWeb Excellence Award in Communications and Humanitarian Services and the Institute of Public Relations National Award for PR Discovery of the Year in 2016.
These honours reflect a career marked by ethical practice, strategic insight and impact-driven storytelling.
Her professional journey spans consultancy, corporate and non-profit sectors. Before joining MTN Ghana, she worked at Strategic Communications, now Stratcomm Africa, managing key accounts such as British Airways and the Board of Airlines of Ghana, and leading major public relations campaigns for the Forestry Commission and the Charities Aid Foundation.
She later joined SOS Ghana, where she established the organisation’s Communications and Fundraising Department.
Academically, she holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Ghana, a postgraduate diploma from the School of Communication Studies, and a master’s degree in Leadership and Governance from the University of Ghana Business School. Her inclusion on Africa’s Top 100 list signals MTN Ghana’s growing influence in shaping strategic communication discourse on the continent.
Emamoke Ogoro-MTN Nigeria
MTN’s continental footprint is further strengthened by the recognition of Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager for Brands and Communication at MTN Nigeria, a market that plays a central role in the Group’s overall performance.
Ogoro is a marketing and strategy expert with over a decade of experience across business strategy, strategic planning, go-to-market execution, consumer marketing, corporate brand strategy, communication and stakeholder engagement.
She has demonstrated a strong ability to translate corporate strategy into high-impact initiatives that drive brand leadership, revenue growth and market share expansion.
Her leadership has delivered attention-grabbing campaigns such as “Saka Don Port” and “We Move,” which resonate strongly with consumers while reinforcing MTN Nigeria’s brand relevance and cultural connection.
Beyond campaigns, she brings strengths in leadership, people management, budget planning and change management, all critical capabilities in a fast-evolving telecoms environment.
Ogoro holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Delta State University and an Executive MBA from Nanyang Business School in Singapore, ranked among the world’s top business schools.
Her executive education also includes programmes at Columbia, Wharton, Berkeley and Cornell, as well as a Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School. Her recognition underscores the strategic importance of brand-led communication in sustaining MTN’s dominance in Africa’s most competitive telecoms market.
Melvin Akam-MTN Cameroon
Completing MTN’s strong showing on the list is Melvin Akam, General Manager for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at MTN Cameroon, whose career highlights the vital role of regulatory engagement and corporate diplomacy.
Based in Cameroon, Akam has served in senior roles within MTN Cameroon since 2012, including Head of Corporate Affairs and Executive Secretary of the MTN Foundation, before assuming his current role in 2019.
His experience spans regulatory negotiations, stakeholder management, corporate governance and foundation leadership.
In an environment where regulatory frameworks and government relations are critical to business sustainability, Akam’s work ensures that MTN Cameroon operates with compliance, credibility and constructive engagement.
His inclusion on Africa’s Top 100 list recognises the often understated but essential contribution of regulatory and corporate affairs professionals to corporate stability and reputation.
What the recognition means for MTN
Taken together, the recognition of Nompilo Morafo, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Emamoke Ogoro and Melvin Akam sends a clear signal about MTN’s institutional strength.
It demonstrates that the Group has invested deliberately in building world-class communication and corporate affairs capabilities across its operations, rather than relying on isolated excellence.
In an era defined by reputational risk, digital disruption and heightened stakeholder scrutiny, this depth positions MTN as a company equipped to navigate complexity with clarity and credibility.
It enhances investor confidence, strengthens regulatory relationships and reinforces public trust across markets.
