Effortlessly, (Dr) Mike Adenuga Jnr, GCON, CSG, CLH, the chairman of telecommunications giant, Globacom, personifies the famous quote of Vince Lombardi that “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit.” Since Globacom entered the Nigerian communications field back in 2003, it has been cutting large swaths through the labyrinths of an otherwise impervious and volatile industry.
Yes, If Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. doesn’t strike you, at first sight, then possibly, he is a masterpiece of a man disguised as a blank canvas. The trillionaire businessman affects a flurry of beings curled into one: he is science, an art, a foundation of genius with dashes of brilliance brightening the creativity of his mind and soul, thus illumining the world. A product of pure intellect, vision and sheer enterprise, he can become any form he creates; he is a library of masterpieces, an intricate web of sensitivity and hope attuned in full measure to the world’s needs. This is a glimpse of who he truly is.
Dr. Adenuga does not only set high standards; he abides by the standards as a matter of exemplary leadership and integrity of character. Unlike the proverbial prophet who has no honour among his kith and kin, ‘the Spirit of Africa’ (as fondly called by his loyalists and admirers) has never gone through a year in the past two decades without winning one award or the other. For Dr. Adenuga and the Globacom brand, winning, indeed, seems engrained in their DNA. Likewise, 2019 has been an interesting year as the company has continued to grow in measures that surpass even its managers’ projections and it is not surprising that they are ending the year, typically, on a high note.
Last night, dignitaries gathered amid pomp and ceremony, to celebrate THISDAY Newspapers as it marked 25th year of robust journalism at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre, Lagos. The silver jubilee celebration, themed ‘A Gala Evening to Celebrate Africa’s Most Authoritative Media and Technology Group’, was witnessed by governors, both serving and former; captains of industry, technocrats and politicians. Thus in apparent homage to his citizenship of humanity and relentless strides at rewriting the African business narrative, the prestigious newspaper, THISDAY, honoured Dr. Mike Isola Adenuga the Entrepreneur of the Decade. It was an honour well deserved! Yes, Adenuga wears his entrepreneurial strength and savvy like a badge of honour, on his chest; shining it with sweat, as true virtuous men do. He stands tall, wading through odds with the courage of a knight and confidence of a champion.
Interestingly, the company’s global preeminence was reconfirmed when it won in the telecommunication-mobile category at the prestigious 2019 World Branding Awards, the ultimate global brand recognition accolade now in its 10th year, and which saw 318 brands from 41 countries named “Brand of the Year” in a glittering ceremony held on November 15 at the State Apartments of Kensington Palace, London. The brands were nominated by over 230,000 consumers across the globe.
Winners of the award are uniquely judged through three streams: brand valuation, consumer market research, and public online voting. Seventy per cent of the scoring process comes from consumer votes. There can only be one winner in each category per country. “The Awards are an acknowledgement to the tireless effort of the teams that build and maintain their brand presence in an ever-changing market,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum.
“To be a winner, a brand has shown that they have built themselves up to such a degree that they are placed amongst the best brands in the world,” added Julian Andersen, Managing Director, World Branding Forum. The awards are organised by the World Branding Forum, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing branding standards.
No doubt, the company has grown in leaps and bounds as the years pass by and each year sees it continue to navigate uncharted territories.
