By Umeokeke Chinelo Lilian
The 29th day of April, every year, reminds the good people of Nigeria of a beautiful day in years gone by when an iconic baby, a beacon of hope, was born to the family of Chief Michael Agbolade Adenuga (Snr) and Chief (Mrs.) Juliana Oyindamola in Ijebu Ode, in the Western Region of Nigeria, to be precise.
This God-send is the accomplished Dr. Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga ( Jnr), CSG, GCON, an accomplished billionaire businessman rated by Forbes magazine as the third richest person in Africa with a networth of $6.7 billion. Those who know him closely, however, believe he is worth much more than this as most of his businesses are not on the stock market, making it difficult to evaluate him. He is also a man who likes to operate outside the radar.
For instance, his telecommunications company, Globacom, which currently has over 60 million customers, is not on the Nigerian exchange. With all the investments in technology all over the country, can anyone really say for certain how much Glo is worth? His privately owned submarine cable, Glo 1, all the way from the United Kingdom through about 14 African countries is another telecom investment that is not publicly quoted and whose value may not be easily quantified. His close associates say his assets in real estate alone across the globe are worth over $3 billion.
He did not get to where he is today by just being lucky. His diligence and dedication to hard work are exemplary. A lot has been written about how he set out early in life to chart his own destiny. Eventually, through dogged efforts, he rose to become the epitome of wisdom and knowledge. Through sheer tenacity and hard work, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. has become a revolutionary and transformational vessel worldwide.
Instead of relying on his family’s wealth, he chose his own path very early in life, emerging as a self-made business mogul, with numerous successful enterprises in telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, real estate, aviation and construction attached to his name.
A foresighted pragmatist with an indomitable heart, he has conquered the telecommunication world with his ingenuity by establishing Globacom network. At the moment, many facets of society like banking, commerce, health, education, government, oil and gas, manufacturing, and other critical sectors are enjoying the technological evolution of Glo in Nigeria and Ghana.
His companies, apart from Globacom, include Conoil PLC, the largest petroleum products marketing company in Nigeria, Conoil Producing, the largest indigenous oil-producing company , and Glo Mobile in Ghana. Also, he is the largest shareholder in Julius Berger and one of the biggest shareholders in Transcorp, Sterling Bank and First Bank. Through these companies, he provides millions of Nigerians and non-Nigerians with direct and indirect employment.
But it is in telecommunications that his impact has been felt the most by all and sundry. The establishment of Globacom, a household name, brought SIM card to the beck and call of all citizens, big and small. It’s so wonderful that people do worthwhile businesses from the comfort of their homes and render excellent services to doorsteps. Thanks to Providence for this entrepreneurial stride, many citizens now enjoy telephone lines, students, artisans market women, okada riders and the like.
Globacom, over the years, has achieved one of the core objectives for which it was set up, which is empowerment. On the macro level, individuals and businesses have been empowered through the company’s innovative products and services, while on the micro scale, many Nigerian sports personalities, artistes and music stars have reached the peak of their careers through the series of brand endorsement deals, musical concerts, comedy tours and promotions across the country.
Also, Globacom has over the years given out life-transforming prizes such as houses, cars and self-empowerment facilities through series of consumer promotions. Kudos to the Chairman of chairmen, the Great Guru of our time. Posterity will not forget his huge legacies in different spheres of life easily.
Similarly, his colossal footprints in the sands of time in philanthropy can never be erased. The Group Chairman derives immense joy in putting smiles on the faces of the needy and the underprivileged in society. He strongly believes that the resources he has are for service to humanity. Indeed, his generosity is legendary.
He feels fulfilled rehabilitating distressed Nigerians. For instance, the case of a national football hero, Peter Fregene, who was incapacitated by health challenges; he miraculously became a proud landlord, courtesy of the Chairman of chairmen himself, who even placed him and his family on mouth-watering monthly allowance.
I read about the story of a distressed woman whose video trended on social media a few years ago. The woman, a food seller in a poorly constructed canteen, more like a shanty, along the Lagos-Badagry route, had turned down the love advances of a Customs official. The man felt slighted by the woman’s “stubbornness” and vowed to teach her a lesson. He sent his boys to accuse her of aiding smugglers and arrest her. The poor innocent woman who had nobody to help her turned berserk, went stark naked, poured all the food she was selling on the ground and challenged the men to go ahead and kill her as she was fed up with the harassment and with life as a whole.
The officials, who were unmoved by her condition, proceeded to arrest her nonetheless. When someone drew Adenuga’s attention to the trending video, the billionaire sent his people to fish out the woman and bring her to his office. That was how her fortunes changed. He did not only give her millions of naira to solve her immediate financial needs but also gave her enough money to rent a proper shop and start a lucrative business in a safer location.
The Mike Adenuga Foundation, since inception, has assisted, many Nigerians and citizens of other African nations to achieve personal independence socially and economically, focusing greatly on entrepreneurial support.
All these, the Compassionate Philanthropist does quietly, without seeking attention and publicity. He even frowns at people trying to seek him out to say thank you to him for touching their lives. In the face of the current nationwide hash economic dispensation, many Nigerians find succour under the goodwill of this messiah.
As Dr. Mike Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga Jnr. turns 71, this writer heartily adds her voice to those of numerous well-meaning Nigerians wishing him God’s abundant blessings in good health.
•Umeokeke writes from Warri, Delta State