Mrs. Odunayo Sanya

Odunayo Sanya is the Executive Director of MTN Nigeria Foundation, where she leads social impact initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, Nigeria’s national priorities, and MTN’s corporate social investment strategy. Over a career spanning nearly three decades in Nigeria, her experience cuts across education, financial services, telecommunications, and development sectors. She initially joined MTN Nigeria in 2005 and has held leadership roles including General Manager, Planning & Customer Management, before taking up her current executive role overseeing Foundation operations.

Mrs. Sanya holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Abuja and an MBA in Leadership & Sustainability from the University of Cumbria, UK. She has also completed executive trainings at institutions including Harvard Business School, Cornell University, IMD (Switzerland), and Imperial College London. Recognized for her leadership in social change, she is a certified Maxwell Leadership Coach, a PROSCI change practitioner, and the author of The Alphabets of Leadership for Young Minds, which is listed in the U.S. Library of Congress. Under her direction, the MTN Foundation has driven initiatives in health, education, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, and gender inclusion—including lab revitalizations and STEM scholarships for girls nationwide.