Applauding the 73 Remarkable Years of Mike Adenuga

Olorunfemi Comfort Modupe

Few days ago, precisely Wednesday, April 29, 2026, a truly remarkable Nigerian icon, Dr Michael Agbolade Ishola Adenuga, who is widely known around the world as Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., turned 73.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that his life has had a positive impact on more people than he has ever met in person over several decades. Even though, like an introvert, he prefers to stay out of the public glare, his name and influence resound everywhere.

The truth is, there aren’t many opportunities to celebrate this icon except on his birthday, because he doesn’t often appear in public. It’s well understood that he rarely shows up at events and traditional gatherings every now and then, unlike others.

His contributions to Nigeria’s economic growth over the past decades are undeniable, even to the most critical people.

Very few would forget his bold but patriotic actions in fighting against those who tried to take advantage of Nigerians during the introduction of GSM telecommunications services. I wonder what would have happened if this great man had chosen the easy path and joined them for personal gain, or if he had not obtained a license at that time!

In addition to breaking the long-standing system that unfairly charged a fixed N50 rate for every call minute, Dr. Adenuga also ended the practice of people turning SIM cards into valuable commodities, which many had to borrow money to purchase. I believe his decision to charge per second was important, but even more significant was his impact on millions of people being able to get Glo SIM cards easily. He made it possible for everyone, no matter who they were, to get a SIM card at a reasonable cost and pay for it in installments through airtime recharges, instead of the much higher N20,000 others were selling them for.

The positive impact of this decision is so great that it would take more than an article to fully appreciate. It’s amazing how a Nigerian could genuinely take steps to improve the lives of most people who he never knew.

It’s been truly worthy to celebrate the birthday of one of the greatest business leaders in history and a true son of Nigeria and Africa. He has built a large corporate empire through his indescribable humility, gaining the confidence and support of some of the biggest names in the telecom industry worldwide.

In the more than two decades that it has been in Nigeria, Glo has achieved a lot. Adenuga was the first African to finance a submarine cable, Glo 1, connecting Europe to Africa, helping a continent that desperately needed better, reliable, and faster internet services. His strong will also helped establish Globacom as a strong Nigerian brand in the telecom industry. Many people wonder about the vision that drove Dr. Adenuga to take on such risky ventures, where others would have given up.

As several of his workers have often said, once he sets his mind on something, you either follow him or get left behind, because he won’t stop until he reaches his goal. If the journey had been easier, maybe more people would have followed in his footsteps, and Nigeria would have had more billionaires like him.

He has always been comfortable taking on risks that end up paying off eventually. He has consistently shown qualities that are rare among business leaders around the world: dedication, hard work, persistence, and an unwavering faith in God.

When he and others were given licenses to explore new oil territories decades ago, he immediately jumped into the high-risk venture, while many others sold their rights to avoid the uncertain terrain of the Niger Delta. It is well known that his determination and commitment eventually paid off when Consolidated Oil discovered oil just in time, before serious economic losses could occur.

Dr Adenuga is a proud recipient of many awards, including the highest civilian honour in France, the Commander of the Legion of Honour. He is the first Nigerian to receive this award for being a true role model for Africa, who has greatly contributed to the growth of both the African and French economies.

He also holds the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second highest national award, which is only given to Nigerian Vice Presidents, Senate President and the Chief Justice. The award was in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting the Nigerian economy.

He is also a proud recipient of the Ghana’s Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG), the highest civilian award of honour in the West African country.

It is such great joy to think about how much of a gift he has become not just to those around him, but to the entire world. Our sincere hope is that God continues to bless him with energy, good health, and the vision to keep doing what he was born to do, and to continue to positively impact humanity.

Congratulations and happy birthday to Dr Adenuga for 73 honorable years and for many more to come in the service to humanity.

*Olorunfemi Comfort Modupe writes from Lagos