Happy Birthday to Dr. Michael Adeniyi Adenuga Jr, the quintessential businessman and Chairman of Globacom Telecommunications. The billionaire clocks 70 years on April 29, 2023.
An enigma, Dr Adenuga is always on top of his game and always many steps ahead. Right from his early age when he hit his first million in his mid-twenties running family business, he kept his focus on hitting the top ladder of business in Nigeria, no wonder his movement to the top hierarchy of the nation’s entrepreneurship cadre in his early thirties was very swift and done with utmost precision.
After obtaining his first degree and an MBA from Pace University, USA Adenuga returned home and by his early thirties, he had established two top banks: Equatorial Trust and Devcom. By early forties, he moved powerfully into the nation’s oil industry with his company Conoil. Such was the determination and tenacity of the bull, forging ahead with full focus and conquering businesses along the way.
Not only did he own these businesses, he administered them with utmost efficiency that saw each of them becoming success stories over a very short period of time.
In 2001, the bull also made a successful entry into the nation’s telecommunications industry when the Obasanjo’s Administration decided to offer GSM licences to businesses to operate. He bided for a license but lost out. Like a typical bull that he is, he refused to back out, even when his ICL had lost $20m. He later got a bigger package which today has translated to a national carrier, Globacom, the only indigenous GSM Company and setting the pace among other companies that started two years earlier.
Globacom, the telecommunication giant commenced services in Nigeria on 29th of August, 2003 with a vision to be the market leading service provider in the country. The company from inception to date has demonstrated its commitment to creating value with its products and services, thus empowering millions of Nigerians in the process.
While other networks, which started operations about two years earlier, claimed that “per second billing” was impossible Adenuga outwitted them convincingly with Glo entering the market in a grand style and offering Nigerians the elusive per second package, thus justifying its inaugural pay off line; people, power and possibilities and eventually forcing other networks to follow suit to the delight of millions of Nigerians.
20 years on, under Adenuga ‘s astute leadership Globacom has a record of many firsts in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry and has remained a pacesetter in spite of rolling out its services two years after other networks have started operations. Some of the record of firsts including championing per second billing, first to implement 2.5 G network in Nigeria, first to implement 3G network in Nigeria, first to offer 4 G LTE, first to offer Blackberry solutions in Nigeria and first to launch of submarine cable (GLO 1) which provides efficient and fast broadband internet services.
Glo presently has over fifty million subscribers cutting across different sectors of the country, with all of them enjoying access to high quality products and affordable telecom services.
The company has extensively supported the movie Industry in Nigeria (Nollywood) and in Ghana (Ghollywood) with notable actors and actresses chosen as Glo Ambassadors. This move and many others had empowered African arts and culture. The sponsorship of several cultural festivals in its areas of operation is another aspect of its Corporate Social Responsibilities which has resonated with the people. In addition to these are countless donations and support by Dr. Adenuga in different parts of the country, thus empowering Nigerians in different areas of human endeavour.
Another area where Dr. Adenuga has impacted positively on Nigerians and Africans is sports sponsorship. One of the important interventions is in Nigeria and Ghana where the company sponsored the national teams for many years as well as the League. The Supporters’ Clubs in both countries are also not left out.
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Glo Soccer Academy which trained young footballers to kick-start their career in professional football was also developed. The finalists of the academy were trained in Dubai Soccer Academy and Manchester United Academy respectively. Adenuga also sponsored top Golf tournaments known as Glo Golf Tour West Africa which offered millions of naira to winners. There were also different editions of the Glo Marathon with outstanding prizes for winners.
This is in addition to different customer-friendly product and services churned out Globacom which its subscribers have been enjoying in the last 20 years, thus encapsulating the network’s philosophy of empowering Nigerians and giving them access to the best value and pricing.
A big congratulations to Dr Mike Adenuga jnr.(CON) for being a true Nigerian who believes in Nigeria by investing heavily in the country. He successfully raised the bar by getting the license and laying the foundation for the first indigenous GSM Company in Nigeria.
The living legend has through Globacom made a bold statement that all things are possible through determination, focus and hard work. He led the pack, setting the standard for young and upcoming Nigerians to believe in themselves and their country.
A 70 Happy cheers to the Guru. Many more healthy and progress –filled years ahead.
Kutemi is a Lagos based online Journalist
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