Patricia Obo-Nai, the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, has been named among the top 93 women CEOs in Africa, according to the 2023 Africa.com Definitive African Women CEOs list.
The list, sponsored by Standard Bank Group, is unique in its focus on African businesswomen leading large-scale businesses and is based on data-driven research, with data provided by Bloomberg.
“This year’s list of 93 women represents 17 countries that have qualified based on either large-scale revenue or large-scale market capitalisation. The list includes 40 women from South Africa, 12 from Nigeria, and 6 from Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya, respectively,” said Teresa Clarke, Chair of Africa.com.
The list was compiled from an analysis of 2,020 companies listed on the 24 African stock exchanges, with companies screened for revenue of $100 million or more, or a market capitalisation of $150 million USD or more. This resulted in a list of 787 companies, from which the top women CEOs were selected. Patricia was recognised for her accomplishments as the leader of Vodafone Ghana.
Patricia’s contribution to the telecommunications industry is significant. She has championed various innovations in the industry and is celebrated for her outstanding leadership during the heights of the pandemic. Under her leadership, Vodafone Ghana introduced remarkable initiatives as part of a comprehensive relief package for Ghanaians.
Patricia is a strong advocate for technology and continues to emphasise the need for Africa to leverage technological advancement to drive sustainable development and secure its participation in the digital economy. In her OpEd titled ‘Connecting Africa is the Seminal Challenge of our Time’, she stated: ‘’To expedite Africa’s economic recovery post-pandemic, the continent must accelerate digitalisation and expand regional cooperation.”
In addition to her advocacy for technology, Patricia is known for her passion for gender issues and interventions that offer economic opportunities to women. During the United Nations General Assembly panel session last year, she called for an urgent solution to end maternal mortality across sub-Saharan Africa. She also participated in the G7 Partnership on Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa event to deliberate on catalysing digital financial services for women across Africa.
Patricia has won several awards, including CEO of the Year at the Ghana Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards (GITTA) and the Women Leadership Excellence Awards at the CEO’s Summit and Awards.
