Telecom
How Professional Executive Assistants Impact Work Culture
By Precious Emechebe
In today’s professional climate, the role of an Executive Assistant (EA) is disruptive. Much so with the availability of advanced technological and organisational tools.
Beyond managing information flow and attending meetings for high-level professionals such as a Chief Experience Officer (CXO), EAs now actively take part in more strategic, supervisory, and authoritative decisions.
To quote The Assist, “Today’s Chief Executives lean on their assistants not just for admin help but also for strategic counsel, technical expertise and critical analysis. EAs are expected to dabble in things as wide and varied as project management, event planning, and internal communications.”
This makes EAs as vital to an organisation’s growth and success as any other high-level professional.
So, what are these roles, their limitations, and their impact? Let’s take a deep dive:
1. EAs as Strategic Partners: EAs have a deep understanding of the industry they work in and the regulatory framework and policies that affect said industry. As a result, they make valid contributions that progress conversations and decisions of their Executives.
2. EAs as Professional Problem Solvers: Impossible is a word that does not exist in the dictionary of an EA. They are super connectors that make connections within and beyond their network. They make the most of their networking activities by keeping records of vital information on acquaintances and are quick to assist when necessary. This helps them earn and maintain lifetime access to influential decision-makers, thereby positively impacting the Executives and organisations they represent.
3. EAs as Trusted Confidants: A professional EA understands that one of the most significant responsibilities of the role is trust. This responsibility stems from working closely with those whose corridors crucial information is shared, and decisions are made regularly. Therefore, trust is an attribute they earn and do not trade for anything.
A professional EA is discreet, unassuming and cautious of the words they speak, as they understand the gravity of their responsibility and the consequences of loose lips.
These said, EAs are and can be more.
As an EA, you must stay committed to the path of personal and professional development. You are expected to take essential courses, join empowering associations to grow your network and influence, and expand your horizon.
This is critical in changing the prevalence of a wrong perception about the EA role limitations. It positions you as an asset to your superiors and your organisation.
Now, in what ways can an EA be an asset to a CXO or other superiors?
We’ll consider these two main factors:
1. The CXO or superior’s willingness to delegate part of their workload to the Executive Assistant: The essence of Executives having EAs is to have more time to focus on optimising strategic thinking and execution.
Melba Duncan, CEO of Duncan Group, in her 2011 Harvard Business Review article titled ‘The Case for Executive Assistants’ stated, “… an EA must make the executive 8% more productive than he or she would be working solo—for instance, the assistant needs to save the executive roughly five hours in a 60-hour workweek.”
Diligent EAs save their bosses much more time than that. As Robert Pozen, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, puts it, “A top-notch assistant is crucial to being productive.”
Progressive-minded CXOs are happy to empower and delegate work to competent EAs with the trust and assurance of professional execution.
Ultimately, an empowered EA can strategically organise and follow up on action items, manage information flow, attend to financial matters, and attend important meetings on their superior’s behalf.
2. The EA’s willingness to stretch beyond their comfort zone to assume new responsibilities: Successful EAs are simply those who don’t compromise on personal development. They are willing to push themselves beyond the rudimentary requirements of their jobs, utilising new languages, relations, and technological skills to function in global markets.
These types of EAs are invaluable assets to their bosses as they become masters in their primary roles, with the capacity and competence to take on new responsibilities.
Such EAs usually score high on emotional intelligence, as they can read their bosses’ shifts in behaviour and temperament, respond correctly, and accommodate their style to help them win.
These attributes endear such EAs to their bosses, who become more comfortable with participating in their growth within and outside the organisation.
To put it succinctly, Executive–Assistant relationships are business partnerships; strong ones are win-wins.
Precious Emechebe is the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) to enhance digital security and fight telecom fraud.
NCC
Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman, represented by Executive Commissioner Rimini Makama at an Abuja stakeholders’ forum, stressed mobile numbers (MSISDNs) as vital for banking, authentication, and services—but vulnerable to misuse via recycled, churned, or barred SIMs.
“The TIRMS Platform is a secure, regulatory-backed, cross-sectoral solution… to provide a uniform approach for managing risks relating to the integrity and utilisation of registered MSISDNs,” Maida said.
Objectives include better MSISDN access for accountability, fraud checks on dormant/suspicious numbers before service access, and proactive verification across sectors.
Proposed rules mandate 14-day churn notices, seven-day data submission to TIRMS, and blocking of fraudulent lines. Success hinges on telecoms, banks, security agencies, and others.
Maida highlighted NCC’s collaborative rulemaking for a “One Government” approach.
Cybersecurity Director Olatokunbo Oyeleye called digital trust an “operating licence” for growth: “Every mobile number in Nigeria [must] be trusted… TIRMS will safeguard users, reduce fraud, and reinforce confidence in our digital economy.”
TIRMS bridges gaps with CBN, NIMC, CAC, SEC, and PENCOM, aiming to cut fraud and boost trust.
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