SocietyGazette.com Society Gazette News
Related Articles
Access Holdings CEO Urges African Businesses to Build Strong Institutions
Innocent C. Ike, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, has urged African business leaders to prioritise institution-building over expansion alone, saying sustainable growth requires strong governance, disciplined decision-making and long-term value creation.
Ike made the call while delivering the keynote address, “The Mindset of a Global CEO,” at the Stanford Seed G3 (Growth, Grit and Global) 2026 conference, held on October 14 and 15 at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos.
He said global leadership should be measured by the quality of decisions made in complex environments rather than the number of countries in which an organisation operates.
“Many executives can grow a business. Far fewer can build an organisation that can operate across multiple jurisdictions, attract capital at scale, develop leaders across generations, and earn the trust of customers, regulators, and investors,” Ike said.
“Scale is the outcome. Institution building is the capability.”
He acknowledged that expansion provides access to new markets, operating efficiencies and wider capital opportunities but warned that growth does not automatically guarantee stronger financial performance.
“Scale is a platform for value creation. It is not the value itself,” he said, urging executives to ensure that expansion delivers measurable benefits for customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders.
Ike identified six disciplines of a global chief executive: thinking beyond geographical boundaries, allocating capital objectively, building institutions rather than empires, competing against global standards, balancing opportunity with risk, and prioritising sustainable value.
He also stressed the importance of responsible technology adoption, cybersecurity and stakeholder trust.
“Technology accelerates scale. Artificial intelligence amplifies judgement. Brand converts performance into trust,” he said.
For African businesses seeking international growth, he recommended establishing sound governance structures early, maintaining credibility with regulators, developing leadership talent and adapting business operations to local market conditions.
The two-day conference, convened by Seed Transformation Network, Nigeria, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives and policymakers to explore how African businesses can drive economic growth, create jobs and transform communities.
Access Holdings, a conference partner, showcased its offerings and engaged prospective businesses on financing opportunities through an exhibition booth and a Deal Room that connected growing enterprises with potential financiers.
Dignitaries included Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Aisha Rimi, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission; Ayodele Olojede, Chief Operating Officer of the Development Bank of Nigeria; and Iyin Aboyeji, Founding Partner of Future Africa.
Others were Omolola Ajani, President of Stanford Seed Transformation Network, and Lanre Adesuyi, Chief Executive Officer of Havilah Group.
Concluding his address, Ike urged business leaders to assess growth strategies by their impact on customers, institutional resilience, society and sustainable shareholder returns.
“African businesses do not need smaller ambitions. They need stronger institutions around those ambitions,” he said. “Scale creates opportunity. Institutional discipline makes value endure.”
Seed Transformation Network, Nigeria, is part of the Stanford Seed Transformation Program, established by Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business to equip leaders of established small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets with the capabilities to scale sustainably. The programme has a network of more than 1,500 business leaders across Africa and Southeast Asia.
