Speaking during a panel dis­cussion at the 7th 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,’ Ms Obo-Nai advised business leaders to prioritise purpose and social impact in their operations.

The summit was held on the sidelines of the 74th 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 explained.

Ms 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 in order 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,” she added.

As Telecel seeks to lead Af­rica’s digital transformation, Ms 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 digitalise business processes, but how we empower people’s lives through digital solu­tions,” he stated.