Encomium
Young professionals have been urged to embrace continuous learning, resilience and personal responsibility as they prepare for leadership in an increasingly competitive world. The charge came from the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Karl Toriola, during his session at the ninth edition of the Redefinition Conference, held at the United Evangelical Church on July 25, 2026, themed “CTRL+S: Save. Deploy. Scale.” The conference brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and emerging professionals to discuss leadership, innovation and personal development.
Speaking during an interactive session, Toriola encouraged participants not to be discouraged by failure, stressing that mistakes are part of every successful journey. “Make no mistake: I have made a million mistakes in my life. Probably what has gotten me to where I am is I don’t let them completely wipe me out, and I always learn something and try and make it a little bit better after that mistake, and try not to repeat it over again,” he said.
He also challenged young professionals to take ownership of their careers through deliberate self-development. “Your career, your future, your life is your responsibility and your responsibility only. And nobody is going to give you any leeway because you started from behind… It is up to you to close that gap,” he said. Toriola added that throughout his career, he invested his own time, money and vacation periods in developing new skills, including finance and risk management.
On the future of work, Toriola called on organisations to create environments where younger employees are encouraged to contribute ideas. “The balance will come if you give the new people that you bring into your organization an excessively loud voice. The problem is you bring in these people, and then you put them in a corner… and you shut them down,” he said. He added that businesses must remain open to new thinking if they want to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
The session ended on a memorable note when a student studying Data Engineering and Analytics requested an internship opportunity at MTN Nigeria. Impressed by the student’s confidence, Toriola directed the individual to a member of his team after the session to explore the opportunity. The exchange drew applause from the audience and reinforced the day’s message on taking initiative and creating opportunities through confidence and boldness.
