Mike Adenuga facts for kids

Chief Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr is a very successful Nigerian businessman. He was born on April 29, 1953. Forbes magazine says he is the fifth richest person in Africa.

He founded Globacom, which is one of the biggest phone companies in Nigeria. It also works in Ghana and Benin. He also owns parts of Equitorial Trust Bank and an oil company called Conoil. In May 2024, Forbes said he was worth about $6.7 billion.

Early Life and Education

Michael Adenuga's father was a schoolteacher. His mother was a businesswoman. They were from the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria.

Michael went to high school at Ibadan Grammar School. He also studied at Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro. To help pay for college, he even worked as a taxi driver. He studied Business Administration at two universities in the United States. These were Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Pace University in New York.

Building His Career

Michael Adenuga earned his first million dollars in 1979. He was only 26 years old. He made this money by selling lace fabric and distributing soft drinks.

In 1990, he received a special license to drill for oil. The very next year, his company, Consolidated Oil, found oil. This happened in the shallow waters of Southwestern Ondo State. This made his company the first Nigerian-owned oil company to find oil in large amounts.

He also entered the telecommunications business. He got a license for GSM (mobile phone service) in 1999. After some changes, he received another license in 2003. This led to the creation of Globacom.

In August 2007, he was named "African Entrepreneur of The Year." This award was given at the first African Telecoms Awards. In May 2015, he tried to buy a mobile phone company in Ivory Coast. He offered $600 million for Comium Côte d'Ivoire.

Awards and Honours

Michael Adenuga has received many important awards. In 2012, the Nigerian government honored him. They made him a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger. This is a very high award in Nigeria.

He also holds a special traditional title. He is known as the "Otunba Apesin" of the Ijebu clan. This is a respected chieftaincy title among the Yoruba people.

In 2018, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, honored him. He was given the insignia of a Commander of the Legion of Honour. This is one of the highest awards France can give.

In 2019, New African magazine listed him as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans.

See also

• List of Yoruba people