When people are invited to a birthday celebration, one common song that is always sung is “Happy Birthday To You…” But a birthday is beyond just the celebration of life. It is beyond the celebration of riches, food, drinks, achievements and what have you. ‘Birthday’ ought to be when, not only the celebrant but anyone in attendance, is supposed to reflect on his or her life, make restitutions and additions.
Son of an astute trader, Late Ma Oyinkansola Adenuga, Michael Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga has turned 54. He is a man with parallel art for Business. He sees business where others do not.
His creativity for making money could be traced to have started in the United States as a student of the Northwestern State University, Alva, Oklahoma and the Pace University, New York where he studied Business Administration with pedigree in marketing.
As a student in the university, the now revered Mike did part-time jobs, of which taxi driving was among, to sustain himself.
If the chairman of Globacom, today, was once a taxi-driver, one of the neglected jobs so far, it should be an inspiration to people mainly the youths who are with a view of making riches on the platter of gold.
More than hundreds of thousands of people earn livelihood from the former taxi-driver worldwide today. And Globacom is “Nigeria’s second national carrier and Africa’s fastest-growing telecommunications and entertainment service solution provider”. Imagine!
Mike Adenuga has won numerous awards locally and internationally in the business world. As also a philanthropist, the President of Ghana, John Kufor described him as a pride to Africa and a beacon of hope to the continent.
There are great lessons that could be learnt from Mike Adenuga, the inspirer. Most especially is the Globacom’s new debut: “Rule Your World”.
34 comments
Dr adenuga is a man of honour,wether he got rich overnight shouldn’t be an issue,bcous he had provide jobs and some ammenities,so i fink we should say kudos.
I admire his courage and wish him all the best.But will appreciate if i can be able to read more about him on wikipedia.Been searching and found nothing.
For all i know. This man called Mike Adenuga shall be appreciated if not for anything, but for the fact that he has created job for a lot of people in this country Nigeria. there are many Nigerian’s who has the kind of many that Mike Adenuga has and went investing it outside Nigeria.
i would willingly part with my money and give it to mike to multiply.Its not about military goverment and flowing cash.why was mike chosen over every other person.there`s something about him
if inspiration is a problem to some people, but we should think many had similar opportunity and waste it or do not know the way forward. i still think with focus, commitment, hardworking, and clear vision one can make good use of opportunity when it comes. Truely inspiring.
Truely success is not man made but the lord’s, however, its comes with loads of Hard work which i guess Dr. Mike Adeniyi Ishola Adenuga had flowing in his blood. He is my mentor.
Nigeria is a country that any mediocres can be called great overnight. With all due respect to Mike Adenuga and all his admirers as well as people that beleives has been inspired by him, it will be in everyone’s interest to at least have a bibliography of him and is source of wealth. I have research and cannot find anything about him. This has not do any justice to his intergrity and source of wealth. Adebayo Ogunlesi is a man we all can read about and his accomplishment to this day. Please if anyone has even link to Wiki (at the moment nothing) or any background information to Michael Adenuga, please make it known in this forum.
Let us remind ourselves that it is not enough to discuss about someone since the source might prove unreliable and cannot be verified. Michael Adenuga can help publishing a book about his life and source of help to allay all rumours that has generated since the mysterious wealth. At least successful people have done it.
Dr, is a man i admire and respect do much. In whatever means he has gotten his wealth from so long has he is using it to bless others, i think hes done well. I still wish to benefit from him if i have the opportunity to work with him. May God bless you sir. I know of one medical doctor who claims to be as rich as Mike but he is not a blessing to the others younger generation. I see that person ‘FF’ as a failure
Its phenomenal not to be admired by every one especially when you’re being viewed from a distance.
The entire background and up-bringing of this great man is not expected to be at everyone’s disposal.
Chief is a great man with a DIVINE presence of making things great.
He’s life reveals hardwork, consistency and an un-explainable DIVINE backing. I admire you.
Whether he made his money through the military or not is not the issue, the fact that he has a lot of investments in Nigeria that provides jobs for a lot of people should be commended. I do not know him in person and I have never got close to him but I see and feel what he has been doing. e.g. by glo he saved Nigerians from re-colonisation, introduction of per second billing challenged the others and many other developments in the telecommunication industry can be seen. if anybody has benefitted from government what about someone who because of his cement company, another cement company in Port Harcourt was shut down during the military era, the same person has fleet of trucks that goes about killing people on the roads, example one of his trucks lost brake on the Apapa Oshodi Expressway on September 26 2009 at about 11 am killing not less than 8 people at cele bus stop including a pregnant woman. the second time of his trucks at the same spot in two years. People claimed that these accidents are ritual killings. it this same man is commended and rated as the richest man in Africa and he is not facing condemnation and persecution as Mike Adenuga faces. Please people let greet the Mike Adenuga and ask him to do more. I joined lovers of good things who have wished you a happy birthday to say happy birthday, many happy returns and more prosperous years ahead to you.
Whether he made his money through the military or not is not the issue, the fact that he has a lot of investments in Nigeria that provides jobs for a lot of people should be commended. I do not know him in person and I have never got close to him but I see and feel what he has been doing. e.g. by glo he saved Nigerians from re-colonisation, introduction of per second billing challenged the others and many other developments in the telecommunication industry can be seen. if anybody has benefitted from government what about someone who because of his cement company, another cement company in Port Harcourt was shut down during the military era, the same person has fleet of trucks that goes about killing people on the roads, example one of his trucks lost brake on the Apapa Oshodi Expressway on September 26 2009 at about 11 am killing not less than 8 people at cele bus stop including a pregnant woman. the second time of his trucks at the same spot in two years. People claimed that these accidents are ritual killings. it this same man is commended and rated as the richest man in Africa and he is not facing condemnation and persecution as Mike Adenuga faces. Please people let greet the Mike Adenuga and ask him to do more. I joined lovers of good things who have wished you a happy birthday to say happy birthday, many happy returns and more prosperous years ahead to you.
he is the man.let him be.foward ever backward never
A lot of people believe that you need to thorough research into adenuga’s rise. our research tells us that it is not all hunky dory. to him money is everything and at all costs.You may be able to get to the real truth if you interview some of the people who have worked with and left him
I dont think having big fortune is a crime. Provided you have gotten it legitimately, particularly if you have been known to be a screwd and responsible business man. Employers of labour should be at least appreciated for the service to the nation as against those who are siphoning Nigeria’s money to foreign countries. Mike Adenuga deserves our respect.
Mike Adenuga is a rare gem, God sent to this generation. In shot, I desire to meet and shake hand with him. I love to emulate him even though there is no means now, but I believe with advice of his and encouragement, sky can be my limit too. I salute you sir.
you see why some write baseless things. what life improving thing has Adenuga or Glo ever done. Adenuga does only things he feels will make people sing his praise and launder his image and that of his companies – fight with MTN on NPL sponsorship, and other nonsenses, Paying musicians to sing meaninless tunes in our unis? Cant we take a cue from MTN, a foreign firm – Foundations here and there, educative programmes, and still making their money gently.
Globacom University? Castles are still accepted on air!
many guys out there would praise Adenuga cos they hardly come close to him. I work in his company, and knows him a very treacherous person. Peep into Benin republic and see how he is using his staff from Nigeria as forced labour.
He is yet to pay them any form of allowances after drafting them there over 13months ago. The story is not different in any of his companies, even in Nigeria. His staff are jinxed, only him knows with what, but dont forget his bull and mingling with Indians!
Be bold enough to query and you will be surprise over 80percent of his staff want to leave him. Why?
People shouldnt say he is not corrupt, if he wasnt, he wouldnt have fled to Ghana when it was required of him to prove, he`s got clean hands. He is a big time bribe giver, part of why Ernest Ndukwe and other politicians sing his praise! The man stiffles NITEL, and other ompetitors. Etisalat has their own experience.
I am sure Mike will not be flattered by all the good comments about his personality, family and business conquest most of which he may never get to read. However, very few people are like him. Perhaps an outlier in all its ramifications. Some people dont like spirit of control and the energy to always make things work. Not suprising, success comes with controversies and a lot of enemies too. We all have so much to say about Mike Adenuga albeit the risk of being parochial. Some people say he made it with the help of big guns like Babangida; funny, very funny. How many of us can be disciplined, passionate, visionary and intelligent enough to get to Mike Adenuga’s level even if we are give $10billion today and made the King of Africa. It takes you to be you. Adenuga may not be all to everyone certainly but his virtues are a force to reckon with. I have seen him from a far distance and a little closely too while working in the bank he founded a few years back, I have seen him from other people’s eyes but one thing is clear, the young and the ready to move people in Nigeria and Africa as a whole wants to learn from Mike, wants to get from Mike. Thats one of the prices of being great. Its a cross not everyone is willing to carry;
1. Show us Mike how you so early understood that the world is your resource – connecting from Cape to Cairo, from Russia to India, London to New York. It all works for Mike. You get the best around the world to work for you.
2. We await that time when you will help assist us to build an Information Hub in Sub saharan Africa by giving us easy access to the flatening world of Internet through your Fibre optic backbone. We need it so Dearly to show our worth.
3. We want to see a technology revolution particularly in telecoms. Why not a Globacom university of Technology. At least a research centre that will bring together the best brains Nigeria ever produced. I am sure funding is not likely to be a barrier to turning the research and innovations from these labs into an unprecedented advantage for Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Some of us dont want to remain in the diaspora all our lives but come over like Mike did to join in the liberation of the people of Africa.
Happy Birthday Sir!
Mike is an Icon,He has contribute greatly to the life of jobless citizen.Those that could’t get a pay or white colar job has become relevant in the community through his introdution of per seconds billing in glo network which all call certer use.
He is my mentor and somebody that put masses(poor)into consideration before embarking on project.
Mike.i love you.
He is my role model. I love him dearly.
I guess he has already gotten every calling a man needs to get to his apex. He’s worth being a mentor; with his innovative sense of business and his charismatic personality that can spur youths to greater height.
Most of us praised Ribadu for a good job he was doing. But a lot of people also condemed him. I was happy Ribadu investigated Dr Mike Adenuga, but since Ribadu could not provide any reasonable evidence to prove most Adenuga “haters” right, I think Nigerians should stop all these rumours. We humans, especially Nigerians are no perfect. Most Adenuga critique are worse if they are given an opportunity to be like him. In summary Dr Mike Adenuga has done very well. He has given some of us hope, just like Obama has done for the black race in leadership, that Nigeria companies can compete with multinationals. We should all commend him than destroy him. Just like I said, he is just a human. We need to also read what people said about Bill Gates’s style of running Microsoft at the early time. It is similar to Adenuga’s. It mostly like that when you are trying to grow big business. Bill later changed. Mike is also getting better.
i do not know him personally but i know his an inspiration to youths in nigeria. a living example of the fact that we can attain to any height we want. i will really love to work under the supervision or tutelage of such a person. he is a sucess story.
I osarumen onaiwu want to comment dat glo nigeria it a liine dat is good 4 every one to use and i most say dat u should keep it up and do more then we expected
regards
to the management
osarumen onaiwu
Mike represents one of the most incredible business entity around today. A very hard-working man, who works 24/7 all year round. It is incredible how people (progress haters) have a lot to say on what they clearly do not know. It is a shame and also very sad.
For your information, Mike became a millionaire when he was in his 20’s, many years ago. For anyone to come here to state that this man became a millionaire over-night is ridiculous.
More power and more blessing to you, Mike Adenuga.
Progress haters usually do not progress.
very hard working person.
mike adenuga is a nice man and a genius which others have to emulate
I knew Mike Adenuga and worked for him in London periodically and always found him to be a person with solid family values, integrity, value for life, but at the same time, an ambition to make something of his life. His family life and the influence of his dear mother, now departed RIP, was always apparent. She was a lovely lady whom I always respected and was so sad to hear of her departing, someone never to be forgotten. Mike started off from humble beginnings as a minicab driver in north London and after numerous adventures, was able to establish himself within the Nigerian community as a force to be contended with. I have not seen him since a chance meeting in Terminal 1 at Heathrow several years ago but have followed his development ever since. Mike, you are a great guy, speak your mind as and when required but leaving the door open, someone to be respected and an aquantance one would like to maintain, even after all this time!! If you see this Mike, kindest regards as always, Jim
I know Mike Adenuga from 1983. A fab hardworking man of wonderful character. I would love to see him or speak to him again. Anita (Russell Square, London !!! My mum Frances says hi !!!
Mike had been an hardworking guy since his youth.An adventurer , bold, neat in appearance always, a dogged man, never accepting defeat, corageous and decisive. We grew up together so I know him inside out. Mike never puts all his fingers in the mouth at the same time.No one should be surprised at his present position.His mum that I know was one of the biggest Cigarette distributor with very large wharehouse and trucks in Ibadan.Those who are envious of Mike should be careful and fear the wrath of the Almighty on them. “Whosoever destroy shall be destroyed”
Mike Adenuga [Niyi] as he is well known in the 60s & 70s by me.We grew up together, played table tennis together, always together watching soccer at Liberty Stadium…I was at Ibadan Boys High School then He was at Ibadan Grammar School. I will be 55 yrs old August 2008. Could you please get me Mike Adenugas E-mail add. Im an Elect. Engr. also a business man in Ibadan. I also pastor a Church [Not Salaried] in Ibadan. Tell him HAPPY 55th BIRTHDAY .Can somebody out there send me his E-mail or Tel. No? Thanks …Tony Adenuga
This is not the typical "Rags to Riches" story.
The way this man accumulated his wealth is still very questionable. It has been rumored that the former dictator Ibrahim Babangida was the one who gave him captial to start his business. Nigeria is one of the few countries where one can become a millionare overnight because there are no checks and balances.
There are many hardworking Nigerians who work two and even three jobs (Taxi Cab Drivers being the most common part time profession among Nigerians) here in the U.S but can never save so much money like Mike Adenuga to start a business in Nigeria.
Please do a little bit of research on the people you write about so as not to mislead your readers.
I can think of so many examples of geniune inspirational Nigerians who deserve this recognition – NOT MIKE ADENUGA!!!!
i think mike has really made it in life i must congratulate though a lot of people think him as fronting for whoever dictator they think, i bet he must have worked hard before he got his position KUDOS
The great lesson to be learnt from your "inspirer" is that great wealth can be accumulated by just acting as front to a Military Dictator – and that is not a lesson you want to teach Nigerian Kids.