Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer, Segun Ogunsanya has been named winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the 14th African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2024. He will be officially presented with the award at the 9th ALM Africa Summit in the United Kingdom. The summit will be held at the UK House of Lords from 17-18 July 2024.
ABLA is a flagship annual recognition event run by Africa Leadership Magazine (ALM), aimed at honoring exceptional corporate practice and outstanding achievers in Africa’s business landscape and private sector. The awards showcase Africa’s businesses and leaders, celebrating exemplary business leadership across Africa.
Dr. Ken Giami, Chairman of the African Leadership Organisation and Publisher of the African Leadership Magazine said the award winners exemplify the spirit of innovation, resilience, and excellence driving growth and development across Africa.
Ogunsanya said the recognition, along with that of other distinguished Africans, truly humbles him. “It truly belongs to all those who have been on the journey with me at various times,” he said in a press statement. “My career has been focused on serving the needs of people across Africa, most recently through enhanced digital and financial inclusion. I remain determined to help make Africa a better place for its people, and I hope my journey inspires the next generation of Africa’s business leaders.”
Ogunsanya, currently the CEO of Airtel Africa, will retire effective July 1st, 2024, ending his 12 years in the role.
Building on the work undertaken during his time as CEO, including the launch of the company’s first sustainability strategy, and given his deep experience across Africa, Ogunsanya will become the Airtel Africa Charitable Foundation’s inaugural Chair.
Ogunsanya’s landmark contributions towards advancing Africa’s socio-economic growth and development include his 12-year career at Airtel Africa. He ran the Nigeria operations of the telecommunications and mobile money company for nine years before he was appointed CEO of the Group in 2021.
Segun has over 35 years of business management experience in banking, consumer goods, and telecoms.
Before joining Airtel Africa in 2012, he held leadership roles at Coca-Cola Bottling operations in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya (as MD and CEO respectively). He was the Managing Director of Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd (Coca-Cola Hellenic-owned), and Group Head of Retail Banking Operations at Ecobank Transnational Inc., covering 28 African countries.
He is an electronics engineer and a chartered accountant.
The 9th ALM Africa Summit will be held under the theme “Africa Unleashed: Navigating Disruptions, Enhancing Opportunities”, with policymakers, private sector leaders, civil society leaders, thought leaders and stakeholders from across Africa and the rest of the world expected to attend.
