Telecel CEO champions purpose-driven leadership at New York Summit

Chief executive of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai has called for an integration of purpose-driven strategies and sustainable practices in businesses to make more socioeconomic impact.

Speaking during a panel at the 7^th annual Leaders on Purpose CEO Summit in New York on the theme ‘Shared Planet, Shared Future, Shared Purpose – Building Future-Fit Economies for Generations to Come,’ Ing. Obo-Nai advised business leaders to prioritise purpose and social impact in their operations. The summit was held on the sidelines of the 74^th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“A purpose-driven culture is essential for organisational success. Viewing purpose as a waste of investment is a risk to business sustainability. Purpose goes beyond making profit. We must invest in developing our host communities, upskilling the people we work with, be interested in how we grow technological resources in our communities and how we engage local people in employment,” she said.

Ing. Obo-Nai’s panel participation follows her contribution to the prestigious 2024 Leaders on Purpose CEO Study, a renowned research initiative that explores the evolving landscape of purpose-driven leadership. This year’s study, titled ‘Purpose in Action: Leading Business Change in a Volatile World,’ highlights the critical role of purpose in navigating today’s complex global challenges.

The Leaders on Purpose CEO Study, established in 2015, is a longitudinal research project that provides deep insights into how forward-thinking CEOs are integrating purpose into their business strategies to drive sustainable growth and impact. The 2024 edition focuses on themes such as geopolitical resilience, ethical AI integration, and climate leadership.

Highlighting the role of technology in sustainable development, she articulated the critical need for expanding connectivity infrastructure through collaboration to bridge the digital divide. “Expanding infrastructure and making it future proof is critical. We believe participating in infrastructure sharing and co-investment programmes is one of the most effective ways to close the existing digital gap.”

As Telecel seeks to lead Africa’s digital transformation, Ing. Obo-Nai said improving access to digital connectivity has a much broader impact. “Our belief is that we can empower people to use digital products and services to better their lives and businesses. So, it’s not just about how we connect businesses or digitalize business processes, but how we empower people’s lives through digital solutions.”

Beyond its core operations, the telco is implementing a robust sustainability strategy to lessen its environmental impact including the increment of the number of solar-powered exchanges from two to five to reduce both its carbon footprint and reliance on the national grid. Additionally, Telecel Ghana said it has planted about 14,000 seedlings since 2020, with a goal of adding 100,000 trees to the nation’s forest cover by 2030.

At the heart of the Leaders on Purpose summit, during UN General Assembly Week, is the continuation of global public-private dialogue as thousands of leaders from around the world converge to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in sustainable finance, digital transformation, and global resilience.

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