Vodafone Ghana’s CEO, Patricia Obo-Nai joined a distinguished panel of speakers at the “Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Innovators” event held at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) last week.

The event, attended by 2000 young men and women from various junior and senior high schools, aimed to inspire and empower the next generation of female leaders in science and technology.

In attendance were Melissa Nobles, Chancellor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Prof Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, and Prof Ibok Nsa Oduro, President of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (WiSTEM).

Patricia shared her insights on the importance of competence and knowledge in overcoming prejudices. “Your competence must go before you all the time,” she urged the young attendees.

“Take your knowledge in the science, your love for math, your love for statistics, your love for engineering, and bring it to the table. Study hard. That is what you can do for yourself.”

She also highlighted Vodafone Ghana’s commitment to fostering female talent in the science and technology sectors.

“Next month, in partnership with the Communication and Digitalisation Ministry, Vodafone Ghana will be inspiring 100 girls from the three Bono regions in Girls in ICT open day at our head office,” she revealed.

The company aims to expose young women to real-world science applications and inspire them to pursue careers in these fields.

Melissa Nobles, Chancellor of MIT, also emphasised the importance of preparing young Africans for future leadership roles across various fields.

“The world will need the people in this room to lead,” she said, underlining the need for women to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership.

The “Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Innovators” event is part of a broader effort to encourage more women to enter and excel in the fields of science and technology, and to ensure that they are prepared to lead and innovate in a rapidly changing world.