Mike Adenuga at 73: How Glo’s Founder Built a Legacy of Never Settling
- Globacom’s “Never Settle for Less” campaign mirrors Mike Adenuga’s ambition, resilience and drive to build across industries
- A revoked GSM licence did not stop Adenuga: Globacom returned with a national operator licence and challenged telecoms billing practices
- From oil and telecommunications to philanthropy, Adenuga’s ventures reflect a legacy built on persistence, investment and results
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Globacom’s new brand campaign, “Never Settle for Less”, could easily double as a portrait of its founder, Chief Mike Adenuga Jr. Although conceived as a rallying call for Nigerians, the message reflects the ambition, resilience and appetite for excellence that have defined his business journey.
Unveiled in Lagos ahead of Globacom’s 23rd anniversary, the campaign encourages Nigerians to push beyond limitations.
Source: Getty Images
For Adenuga, that philosophy has long been a practical approach to building businesses across telecommunications, oil, banking and real estate.
Turning setbacks into opportunities
At the campaign unveiling, fashion entrepreneur Mai Atafo, broadcaster Reuben Abati and singer Chike shared experiences of pursuing success through uncertainty.
Atafo recalled leaving a secure corporate career to establish his fashion label. Abati spoke about moving beyond his comfort zone, while Chike reflected on progressing from almost empty performance venues to sold-out shows.
Their experiences echo Adenuga’s own refusal to allow setbacks to define his future.
After his first conditional GSM licence was revoked in 1999, he persisted. In August 2002, Globacom secured the Second National Operator licence, opening the door to national carrier operations, mobile services and an international gateway.
That determination laid the foundation for a Nigerian-owned business competing in an industry dominated by major international players.
Challenging the telecoms market
Globacom’s commercial launch in 2003 brought per-second billing to the centre of its offering. Subscribers could pay for the actual duration of calls instead of unused portions of a billing period.
The approach challenged prevailing market practices and helped establish the company’s identity as a competitive force.
Adenuga’s ambition also extended to infrastructure. Globacom invested in Glo-1, a 9,800-kilometre submarine fibre-optic cable connecting Nigeria to the United Kingdom, which became ready in 2010.
The investment demonstrated a willingness to commit substantial resources to the foundations of connectivity. It also reinforced the company’s ambition to shape the market through infrastructure as well as customer offerings.
A business journey beyond Globacom
Adenuga’s entrepreneurial story began long before mobile telecommunications.
He reportedly earned his first million in 1979, aged 26, through lace trading and soft-drink distribution. While studying in the United States, he also worked as a taxi driver to help finance his education.
In 1991, his Consolidated Oil reportedly discovered oil in commercial quantities in the shallow waters of Ondo State, marking a significant achievement for indigenous participation in the sector.
Beyond business, Adenuga and his companies have supported education, healthcare, culture, the arts and sports.
A legacy that speaks through results
In his tribute marking Adenuga’s 73rd birthday, President Bola Tinubu praised his contributions to Nigerian enterprise and highlighted the possibilities that hard work, innovation and resilience offer younger generations.
Those qualities explain why Globacom’s latest campaign resonates with its founder’s journey.
Source: UGC
Known to associates as “the Bull”, Adenuga maintains a relatively private public profile, allowing his investments and achievements to carry much of his message.
Twenty-three years after Globacom’s launch, “Never Settle for Less” captures more than a marketing ambition. It reflects the persistence behind a company built to compete, innovate and endure.
Social media teaser: A revoked licence could have ended his telecoms dream. Instead, Mike Adenuga built Glo. Discover the determination behind his remarkable refusal to settle for less.
From Taxi Driver to Billionaire: Adenuga's legacy surges
Legit.ng earlier reported that Dave Agboola, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has published a profile of billionaire Mike Adenuga, arguing that the Globacom and Conoil founder did more than accumulate personal wealth; he changed the shape of several industries in Nigeria.
In an article titled "Mike Adenuga: The Quiet Force Behind Nigeria's Economic Transformation," Agboola described a businessman known for staying out of public view while building a portfolio that spans telecommunications, oil and gas, banking, real estate, aviation, and sports and entertainment.
Source: Legit.ng
