Dr. Michael Ishola Adenuga is no doubt a billionaire par excellence, the man with unique style and an all-round achiever. With investments in Banking, Oil and Gas (upstream and downstream), Telecoms and other strategic businesses he has participated actively in businesses across all sectors of the economy and has conquered in all. There is a need for a standing ovation for the business guru.
He kicked off his business life at the age of 26 when he hit his first million running family business. He has always been exceptional in his deeds and actions as can be seen in the swiftness with which he climbed to the top hierarchy of the nation’s entrepreneurship cadre in his early thirties. He is tactical and with utmost precision.
With an MBA from Pace University, USA owned two top banks at barely 36: Equitorial Trust and Devcom Merchant Bank and by early forties he moved into the nation’s oil industry with 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, his businesses were administered with utmost efficiency that saw each of them becoming success stories over a very short period of time.
A veteran journalist and publisher, Mike Awoyinka, recently captured the bull succinctly. “Let me start by saying a man’s decision determines his success or failure. Success is a journey needing God, knowledge, wisdom and gut instinct. In the case of Adenuga, his parents’ dream was for him to follow his brother, Demola’s footsteps to study at the University of Ibadan but he had the American Dream. Unknown to his parents, he was making moves to enter an American University. By the time the admission letter came, Mama had no choice but to let him go. Going to America was Adenuga’s best decision. There he was taught by Prof. West, a marketing guru who influenced Adenuga’s intellectual evolution and marketing savvy evident in the success story of Glo”.
In 2001, the Nigerian Communications Commission licensed three GSM network operators, namely MTN, Airtel and MTel. The fourth operator, Glo Mobile, came in 2002 when it was licensed as the country’s second National Carrier. By 2007, the NCC introduced the unified licensing regime, granted 3G licences to four operators and also licensed Mubadala Development Company as the country’s fifth GSM Operator (it subsequently started operating under the name Etisalat now 9 mobile).
Mike Adenuga was firmly entrenched in the Nigeria economy by 2001 when the Obasanjo’s administration decided to offer GSM licences to businesses to operate and like all top businessmen, he bid for a licence but lost out. He later got a bigger package which today is Globacom, the only indigenous GSM Company operating in the country and forging ahead of competitors.
Globacom, the telecommunication giant commenced services in Nigeria with panache on August 29, 2003, Globacom rolled out services in style to the consternation of other established operators. It has, over the years demonstrated its commitment to creating value with its products and services, thus empowering millions of Nigerians in the process.
Globacom has recorded many innovations in the last 22 years of operation 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.
“He has always been exceptional in his deeds and actions as can be seen in the swiftness with which he climbed to the top hierarchy of the nation’s entrepreneur-ship cadre in his early thirties. He is tactical and with utmost precision”
Some of the record of firsts includes; 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 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.
Sports also enjoyed tremendous support from Globacom. In Nigeria and Ghana, 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. This is, in addition to the annual CAF Awards, which celebrates the best footballers and administrators in Africa, (male and female) which Glo transformed completely in its over a decade sponsorship.
A former Minister of Sports, late Bala Kaoje, who spoke a few years ago stated that “National Telecommunications Company, Globacom spent over N3 billion to sponsor the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the then Nigeria Premier League.”
Apart from sponsorship of other sports like Golf, there were also different editions of the Glo Marathon with outstanding prizes for winners and the Glo Soccer Academy which trained young footballers to kick-start their career in professional football. The finalists of the academy were trained in Dubai Soccer Academy and Manchester United Academy respectively.
Globacom also started the sponsorship of English Premier League live matches on Supersport in 2013 , thus giving footballers in Nigeria and other parts of Africa the opportunity to watch live football matches and also follow their football clubs all through the season.
By August, 2025 Globacom will be 22 and it has so far contributed immensely towards the growth of the Nigerian telecom industry. It offered subscribers best value for money through the introduction of quality products and services such as Glotxt 4 million which has seen many Nigerians winning millions of naira. Other offerings like Glo Infinito, Talk more, Yarn me more and Glo Gista in the past, as well as recent products like My Own Don Beta Promo and Mega Data Packages as well as the popular Berekete which one way or the other help subscribers to pay less while using the Glo network.
Dr Mike Adenuga jnr.(CON) has been a true Nigerian, investing heavily in the country and successfully changing the paradigm by getting the license after initial setback. He laid the foundation for the first indigenous GSM Company in Nigeria.
Happy birthday to the man with audacious courage and great tenacity, an entrepreneur par excellence and indeed, chairman of chairmen.