By Ayomide Otitoju
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, stressing the need for strong governance, disciplined decision-making and long-term value creation.
Ike made the call while delivering the keynote address titled “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 business 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 added.
While acknowledging that expansion offers access to new markets, operational efficiencies and broader capital opportunities, Ike warned that growth does not automatically translate into improved 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 to customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders.
Ike outlined six key disciplines of a global chief executive: thinking beyond geographical boundaries, allocating capital objectively, building institutions rather than empires, competing against global standards, balancing opportunities with risks, and prioritising sustainable value creation.
He emphasised that African businesses seeking global relevance must adopt practices that promote institutional strength, responsible leadership and sustained performance.
