Nigerians have seen the “Bull’ – the father. It seems more wonders now await them from the “Lion†– the son.
Paddy Adenuga, who described himself as a “Lion†in a recent article that he wrote which went viral, is a son of the owner of Globacom, Mike Adenuga, who is also known as the bull.
In the widely shared article titled, “A Lion in the North Sea: The Battle for Chevron Netherlandsâ€, which also triggered divergent views and interpretations, Paddy told a long but captivating story of his entrepreneurial grit which almost resulted in his taking over of the assets of the oil giant, Chevron Netherlands.
While some argued that his father’s name provided an invaluable platform for him to pull and recruit highly rated industry experts and facilitate heavy war chest for the big battle of acquisition, others were of the opinion that the young man should be accorded some credit for his daring spirit.
After all, so much have been heard of those with similar head-start that either squandered the enormous fortune at their disposal or took some ignoble paths in life.
Meanwhile, the other aspect of the long essay is the signpost of opportunity in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
With all his spirited effort to acquire Chevron Netherlands, Paddy’s ultimate goal, as highlighted in the piece, was to take over and refocus the operation of the oil behemoth to take greater advantage in many oil fields in Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria; and to challenge the existing operators in those countries.
Though many African countries including Nigeria may not look good on the World bank’s Ease of Doing business index, some lions are determined to meander through the unease for some pricey prey.
