By Michael Effiong

It is not an easy process to determine the most significant event, idea or the most influential person for a particular year. Difficult as it may seem, a choice has to be made considering the parameters set.
After sifting through a long list of candidates, checking out bare facts, discarding fiction and sentiments, the Board of Editors of The Boss has decided that our Man of the Year 2023 is billionaire businessman, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr.

Our Choice for Man of the Year, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. GCON, CSG, CdrLH is someone who has impacted Nigerians in more ways that they would ever imagine.

“Better Local Govt Administration Will Quicken Pace Of Development”-Glo Chairman, Mike Adenuga

Blessed with humongous wealth, the billionaire businessman has used his God-given resources to touch societies, communities and individuals. His heart of giving is second to none.

Though Adenuga’s net worth remains a mystery, he is without a shadow of doubt Africa’s most liquid entrepreneur and investor. His portfolio of businesses are enormous and awe-inspiring. The more recognisable ones are his stakes in oil, gas, telecommunications, banking, construction and real estate.

He is one person who definitely shares the belief that when you want something, you have to go do it yourself – even if DIY in this case means plowing your personal fortune into industries so unwieldy, complex and unknowable that you are termed a gambler. He always dares to thread where others dread.

Nearly everything he’s tried, he’s found success. Clearly, he has the Midas Touch.

Today Adenuga is not just one of the world’s richest men but also one of the most admired and respected.

Everyone know that economically, 2023 has been a tough year for many Nigerians, so just imagine if people had the additional burden of buying a sim card at about N100,000 (when Globacom stopped that exploitative practice in 2003 it was N30,000) and also paying for calls per minute. Do the maths! What would have gone into just communicating daily would have been too heavy for many to bear. And we know the direct consequences of such a situation to the mental health of people.

Therefore, Adenuga through the audacious disruption of the norm, innovative service and people-friendly policies of his company, saved Nigerians billions over the years, and the biting state of the economy today, makes what Globacom has done even more significant.

It is impossible to think of any aspect of human life that is not touched or influenced by telecommunications. That is why Globacom remains one of the biggest drivers of the nation’s economy.

Whatever skeptics said could not be done, Adenuga has gone out and made real.

It takes a great deal of resilience and staying power to last for decades, and it’s a testament to his very clear vision and business acumen.

Indeed, in considering him as our man of the year, the primary point in contention was which person helped in the greatest way to ease the pain, stress and suffering of Nigerians in 2023 and the pendulum swung in the direction of the benevolent multi- billionaire.

It is a fitting honour for Adenuga who exudes finesse, focus and an unquenchable commitment to the Nigerian Can-Do spirit. He embodies resilience, exceptional attention-to-detail, stamina and patience that are needed to stay at the top of the intricate world of business.

Adenuga is known for his entrepreneurial spirit and strategic investments. His ability to identify and capitalize on business opportunities has contributed to the phenomenal growth of his business empire.

From Globacom to Conoil Plc to Consolidated Oil, Cobblestone Property & Estate, to Julius Berger, Sterling Bank to First Bank and more, it is safe to say that Adenuga is an intentional risk taker who is attracted to sectors that create jobs and touch lives.

Talking of touching lives, Dr Adenuga’s kindness has had a profound and life-changing effect on a large number people in Nigeria and across the globe.

One cannot easily forget the $20.5 million yearly donation to facilitate access to quality education, $billions donated to sports and entertainment, $billions as sign on fees to encourage creatives across Africa, Nbillions donated to Nigeria during Covid-19 pandemic, Nbillions in scholarship and intervention programmes and even more billions  spent  as CSR through his 100-per cent owned corporate entities and his charity arm, Mike Adenuga Foundation.

Despite all these, Adenuga is never tired of doing more.

A few months ago, he showed his forward-thinking tendency with the announcement of a N100million endowment of a Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurship Studies at the University of Lagos. The Chair has a tenure of two years in the first instance and maybe renewed for another two years.

From all indications, this is one man who takes delight in helping people and never expects anything in return.

His style of philanthropy is so admirable that oftentimes, third parties never get to know what he has done, not even his family members or inner circle of friends.

He has done so much that today his sobriquet has become “The Spirit of Africa” as creatively and aptly created by The Boss Publisher, Dele Momodu.

He is a spirit that you will never hear from but feel in the most powerful of ways when you least expect.

We doubt if he has attended any public event in 2023, yet millions have benefitted from the work of his hands and benevolence of his heart.

Adenuga is known for maintaining a relatively private lifestyle. While he is a public figure due to his business success, he is not on the social circuit.

He likes to work silently, hide himself under the parapet, while orchestrating things from his impressive office in Banana Island, Lagos. He is one man who lives by his own code, caring very little about the opinion of others.

This global citizen consistently raises the bar in all ranifications. Each time he sets his mind at a task and achieves it, he never looks back but has his eyes set on the next big achievement.

This year, he showed his prowess when in one fell swoop he paid a whopping N154billion to the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) despite the said amount being in dispute. In his usual style, the man fondly called “The Guru” made the payment without any fanfare.

Adenuga’s accomplishments as a businessman are so legion that to recount them seems almost beside the point. His life is like a mythic tale, but his is very real and many can attest to it.

As a billionaire, he sits in rarefied company and if there was any doubt about his significant impact on Nigeria and indeed the world, it was during his 70th Birthday celebration in May this year.

Given the fact that Adenuga is not a politician, has never held any government position, is not your run-off-the-mill instagram celebrity, is not a sports or music star or even a preacher, the outpouring of love and accolades that day were unprecedent. Nobody has seen any such celebration for a private citizen in recent memory.

Almost all popular opinion writers in major publications and blogs, TV Anchors and Radio Presenters penned or said something about the The Great Guru! And most of the comments were complimentary and flowery!

This year, no name was on every lip like “The Bull” who was born on Wednesday, April 29, 1953. He was the main character of 2023!

Therefore, there is no gainsaying that this visionary, extraordinary businessman and philanthropist rose shoulders above the rest and eminently justifies our choice as The Boss Man of the year 2023!