Safaricom boss named business leader of the year

Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore has clinched the 2016 International Business Leader of the Year Award.

The award, presented during the 9^th annual Africa Investors (Ai) CEO Investment Summit in New York, was for Safaricom’s achievement in market innovation and for raising the profile of the continent as a viable international investment destination.

Nigerian business man Tony Elumelu was also honored as the Africa Investor Person of the Year while Dr. Daniel Matjila, the CEO of South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation (PIC) was recognized as the African Institutional Investment Personality of the Year.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, Mr Collymore challenged private sector players to play a complementary role in national development alongside governments and non-governmental organizations.

“Business leaders have the unique opportunity to drive change that can transform not just economies, but whole communities. More than any other group, the private sector has the ability to accelerate inclusive growth and drive sustainability at great speed and scale,” he said.

The Safaricom chief committed to spend a significant part of the firm’s Sh32 billion operating budget to facilitate national development.

Among other efforts the operating budget for Safaricom will be invested in a strategic network expansion projects in rural Kenya to boost agricultural productivity through innovative initiatives to facilitate mobile-based distribution of fertilizer, money transfer, Internet connectivity, education programs and agricultural extension efforts.

The mobile network operator, he said, has already managed to align its corporate strategy to the United Nations fronted Sustainable Development Goals as an indicator of its corporate commitment to sustainable development.

“This is because we stand on the threshold of a new world order; one that could see more people access the services that they need – but only if we use our influence as the business sector to help them reach those goals,” he said.