16 He also graduated from Pace University in New York, USA.
17 According to Forbes, he is the fifth richest person in Africa.
18 Forbes again, listed Adenuga as Nigeria’s second richest man.
19 He bought his first house at Regents Park, England, in 1981.
20 Highly revered Adenuga returned home to Nigeria after a four-year sojourn in the US.
21 Articulate, cerebral and goal-getting Adenuga became a multimillionaire at the very young age of 26.
22 Workaholic Adenuga also worked as a taxi driver to help fund his varsity education in the US.
23 He used to be a major importer of foreign goods, including lace materials and car stereos into Nigeria.
24 Adenuga founded Globacom, a national pride, on August 29, 2003.
25 Adenuga’s Globacom has revolutionised, revamped and repositioned the once moribund and comatose Nigeria’s telecoms sector.
26 Adenuga also rescued Nigerians from exorbitant telephone bills by introducing per second billings with Globacom, which other operators hitherto said was impossible.
27 His Globacom also has huge presence in Ghana and Benin republic, respectively.
28 Adenuga is unarguably one of the biggest private sector contributors to Nigeria’s economy.
29 For almost five decades, he has been consistently creating and spreading wealth through employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerians and even foreigners.
30 In fact, Adenuga, a firm believer in human capital development, as far back as June 2018, had employed more than 3,500 people worldwide, in Globacom.
31 He is also hugely and actively involved in Nigeria’s banking, oil and gas sectors respectively, for over four decades and counting.
32 Dr Adenuga is also a prime player in the nation’s lucrative property industry, where he owns numerous choice properties and estates.
33 Adenuga’s late mother, Madam Juliana Oyindamola, was a very successful businesswoman.
34 While his late father, Pa Michael Agbolade Adenuga Sr., was a revered educationist cum teacher.
35 The amiable billionaire also known as The Bull, likes to drive himself most times.
36 Unknown to many, Adenuga and the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, are first cousins.
37 Dr. Mike Adenuga was unanimously and overwhelmingly voted and chosen by the Management and Board of Editors of DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper, as its Man/Person of the Year in 2023.
38 He is the founder and prime mover of the Mike Adenuga Founder (MAF), a Pan-African philanthropic organisation.
39 MAF’s mission is to contribute to the social and economic empowerment of Nigerians and other Africans.
40 MAF, a non-profit organisation was formally inaugurated on January 2, 2009.
41 Amazingly, the Mike Adenuga Foundation supports initiatives in education, health, entrepreneurship, rural development and special opportunity grants.
Aside Globacom and Conoil, Adenuga is also the owner of Cobblestone Properties and Estates.
44 Cobblestone is a leading and revered real estate and property development company.
45 Also, Adenuga’s Conoil Plc consists of a petroleum marketing company and Conoil Producing, a crude exploration and production company.
46 Adenuga is a huge lover, supporter and promoter of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
47 He has equally bankrolled and financed some leading entertainment events and high end shows in Nigeria, through Globacom.
48 In fact, Adenuga’s Globacom has, since inception in 2003, built a reputation as the biggest corporate supporter of Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
49 It’s also incontestable that Adenuga’s Globcom has been signing and splashing millions on many musicians, actors and comedians as brand ambassadors, since its launch.
50 Adenuga’s Globacom, has hugely sponsored several entertainment reality shows including: X Factor, Glo Naija Sings, Battle of the Year and Dance with Peter, among others.
51 Adenuga’s Globacom has equally hosted several music and comedy shows across Nigerian cities to give rising artistes a platform to showcase their hidden talents.
52 While in his 30s, Adenuga founded and owned two banks – Devcom Merchant Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank, respectively.
53 Adenuga received his drilling licence in 1990.
54 And in 1991, his Consolidated Oil struck oil in the shallow waters of Ondo state and like they say, the rest is now history.
55 Otunba Adenuga was named African Entrepreneur of the Year at the first African Telecoms Awards in August 2007.
56 He received his well deserved Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) national honour from the federal government of Nigeria, in 2012.
57 He holds the highly revered Yoruba traditional title of Otunba Apesin of the Ijebu clan.
58 President Emmanuel Macron of France celebrated and decorated Adenuga with the insignia of Commander of the Legion of Honour, in 2018.
59 In 2019, The Guru was cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine.
60 Adenuga, a loving and caring father is a complete family man.
61 Some of his famous children include: Paddy, Bella Disu, Eniola and Abimbola.
62 According to Forbes, in its 2025 report, Adenuga’s net worth is 6.7 billion USD.
63 He is unarguably one of the leading patrons of arts in Nigeria and the African continent.
64 Adenuga who Ovation publisher, Dele Momodu likes to call “Spirit of Africa,’’ has proudly supported numerous high profile cultural initiatives.
65 His Globacom has been a major sponsor and financier of the annual Ojude Oba Festival, in Ogun state. In fact, Glo has been actively participating as a main sponsor of the premium cultural event since 2006.
66 The republic of Ghana conferred its highest civil national award of Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG), on the serial investor in 2016.
67 Globacom also sponsors and supports the iconic Ofala Festival in Anambra state, which is the largest traditional festival in the country’s south east.
68 Multi-talented, immensely gifted and hugely cerebral Adenuga is a polyglot and speaks several languages including Yoruba, French and Arabic. He’s also known to speak Igbo, Hausa and Fulfulde.
69 Adenuga, a passionate lover of sports has through Globacom sponsored severally, the prestigious annual CAF Awards famously known as the Glo-CAF Awards.
70 Adenuga’s Globacom hosted the first ever edition of An Evening with Wole Soyinka in 2013. A premium gathering celebrating the literary icon and Nobel Laureate.
71 Interestingly, Adenuga’s Globacom is the headline sponsor of CNN’s magazine programme, African Voices Changemakers. It features top Africans from diverse fields, including music, fashion, movies and social activism.
72 Lastly, Dr. Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr, a renowned and globally acclaimed billionaire businessman and investor, is a true and thorough bred Nigerian hero, icon, undisputed national treasure/asset, and a rare African pride.
All of us at leading online newspaper, DAYLIGHT (www.backend.daylightng.com), are wishing Dr. Mike. Adenuga, a happy and joyous birthday as he celebrates 72 years of impactful services and contributions to Nigeria, Africa and indeed, humanity, today, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Once again, happy birthday sir, enjoy your special day and new age with smiles and more generosity cum philanthropy to humanity.
Azuh Amatus, a multiple award-winning journalist and author of FAMOUS FACES…Interactions with Nollywood Stars and Stakeholders, is the publisher of DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper and Founder, DAYLIGHTTV.
