Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Nigeria, has stepped down after nearly three years in the role. Ugonwa Nwoye, currently Chief Customer Relations Officer, will take over as acting Chief Marketing Officer.
During her time at MTN Nigeria, Sowho led the Consumer Business to achieve over 20% year-on-year growth and spearheaded record growth in the data business, with a 50% increase. She also played a key role in MTN becoming the first Nigerian telco to launch 5G.
Before joining MTN as CMO in August 2021, Sowho held various leadership positions at Etisalat Nigeria (now 9mobile), including Head of Strategy and Business Development, Head of Digital Media, and Director of Digital Business. She also made significant contributions at Migo, providing 10,000 instant loans daily as Managing Director and Vice President of Growth, and served as interim CEO of the agritech startup ThriveAgric.
In a LinkedIn post announcing her departure, Sowho emphasized the importance of partnerships in driving the company’s growth. She highlighted collaborations with OTT providers and OEMs to enhance the digital economy through smartphone accessibility.
Sowho shared insights into MTN’s approach to marketing nearly 80 million customers, focusing on customer behavior, consumption patterns, and preferences. She noted the shift from traditional analytics to prescriptive analytics, allowing the company to proactively optimize strategies and anticipate customer needs.
“We embraced digital transformation, especially in data capture for high-traffic processes. This gave us deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling us to make informed decisions and tailor our offerings more precisely,” Sowho said.
Reflecting on her tenure, she mentioned that while partnerships at the startup level require speed and flexibility, larger companies need additional elements like openness and trust. “I was tasked with bringing ‘startup energy’ to MTN Nigeria, and I believe I’ve done just that,” she remarked.
Sowho expressed her gratitude to the board, ExCo members, her team, and particularly Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, for recognizing her potential and supporting her journey.
