Globacom chairman, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr, on Tuesday clinched Nigeria’s ‘Outstanding and Most Innovative Entrepreneur Award’ at the Platinum Awards to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nigerian Tribune.
Other prominent Nigerians who were honoured at the prestigious event were Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. In the same vein, businessman and philanthropist, Sir Kessington Adebutu, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele and Imam Abubakar Abdullahi who received Humanitarian Award for saving over 300 Christians from being killed by suspected herders who invaded his village in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, also received Tribune awards in different categories.
Before this recent award, Dr Adenuga’s outstanding business accomplishments in different sectors of the economy, including telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, real estate and construction, had earned him numerous awards at home and across the world.
He holds Nigeria’s highest honour for non-government officials, the Grand Commander of the Order of Nigeria (GCON).
The business guru also received international recognition last year when the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, conferred France’s highest national honour of Commander of the Legion of Honour on him.
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Earlier in 2016, Dr Adenuga was conferred with Ghana’s highest civil award, The Companion of the Star of Ghana by the former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.
He was represented at the Tribune Awards by the duo of National Commercial Coordinator, Globacom, Mr Yomi Ogunbamowo and the company’s Executive Director, Special Projects, Mr Mike Jituboh.
Ogunbamowo expressed appreciation to the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles for the great honour while promising that the Globacom chairman would sustain the laudable feats that gave him the award and even surpass them.
Held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the organisers explained that Dr Adenuga was considered worthy to receive the award by virtue of “his patriotism which resulted in the crashing of call rates in the country.”
Speaking on the significance of the award, Tribune said: “Before the advent of Globacom, the nation was told that per-second billing was not possible, but Globacom under Adenuga introduced per-second billing and forced others to join. His intervention in the industry has led to the democratisation of access to ICT with even people of low earnings being able to afford mobile phones.”
The foremost publishing firm enthused further: “Today, beneficiaries of his per second billing system are in every home, every village, town and city across the country. With unending innovation, Globacom has contributed immensely to the improvement of internet service providers in the country. Apart from being an astute businessman, Dr Adenuga is a philanthropist of note and has brought relief to the underprivileged in the society through his generosity.”
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