For years, Mike Adenuga has hobnobbed with soldiers that he has become like the proverbial leaf wrapped around black soap which the Yorubas call ose dudu, such that with time the leaf has become soap in its own right, just like Adenuga has developed the mentality of a soldier.
Take the language of his business manifesto or business philosophy couched in a saber-rattling language with a hint of bellicosity. To Adenuga, business is war or a battle that must be won tooth and nail, using the strategy, language, confidence and the sense of invincibility of the military. He once wrote in 1993 on the occasion of his 40th birthday: “Essentially, running a business is similar to leading a military operation or orchestrating a political campaign, or performing as a great athlete. The fundamental principles are the same. The overriding objective is to out-manoeuvre the opposing force; to outsmart the other party; to outperform the competition; to outwit the other guy—to achieve. This may sound harsh. But that is the way it is. SUCCESS is the goal of every business, and the most successful business engage the most competitive men. They are there to compete—to savour the grind and brutal discipline of epic combat—and to achieve.”
At 71, last Monday on April 29, 2024, Adenuga still has the indefatigable fighting and winning spirit of an all-conquering soldier when it comes to running his businesses which have far outgrown what they were thirty-one years ago. When you follow Mike Adenuga’s business and life trajectory, you will discover that his soldier friends like David Jemibewon and Tunde Ogbeha both military governors at a time, were sent by God as catalysts to intermediate positively in his life both as door openers and even Good Samaritans at a perilous time when he needed access to an exclusively military hospital. And his soldier friends quickly made it possible for him to be admitted there—a privilege that would not have been possible but for the fact that he had top, influential military friends.
For the book on Mike Adenuga, I met General Jemibewon, Senator Tunde Ogbeha and even travelled to Minna to meet Nigeria’s former military President Ibrahim Babangida, all close friends of Mike Adenuga, to share their Adenuga stories. Gen. David Jemibewon remembers meeting Adenuga for the first time “when I was the military governor of Oyo State in Ibadan in 1976.” Mike and his then business partner Femi Akinrinade “had a project which they wanted to undertake and they needed some support from National Bank to execute the business. They approached me to help them approach the top management of the bank. Of course, I did that and they got the loan. From there, the relationship blossomed.”
Jemibewon remembers Adenuga as a businessman who had worked very hard in his younger days. “I remember there was a time he was involved in the supply and the manufacturing of a high-class ceiling sheets. It was not very common then. You could only find it in a few offices. It had some high aesthetic values. Like all successful businesses, he started in a little way and gradually got to where he is now by dint of hard work and sheer determination to succeed in business. He has always looked a decent person. Not loud, not vain. But hardworking and focused. And one thing I would add is that Mike is very aggressive in business. If he wants something, he goes and get it. Except it is impossible, it would be difficult for him not to get it. He is not likely to be involved in something that is impossible. Then he has a fantastic human relations. He is a decent person. The moment you meet him, you are likely to like him. So, if he makes a demand of you, except it is impossible, the chances are that, because of your love for him or your likeness for him and the way he comports himself—he is very respectful of elders—you are likely to do that for him.”
On his part, Senator Ogbeha says: “Going back memory lane, I got to know Mike Adenuga around 1979 when I was a Major in the Army. I met him in the company of Gen. David Jemibewon. And from there on we struck friendship and were visiting ourselves. He is a friend that when he is around, he ignites the place with his jokes, with his charisma and I think he is a dependable person as far as my relationship with him is concerned. We had occasions to help each other in one way or the other. Mutual help. The type of help a friend can give when you are in need, or in terms of advice—friendly advice, in terms of his business. Most of the steps he took in business, he usually asked for advice. And in my own little way, I offered what I think it should be. And for me too, I ask for his advice.”
On Adenuga’s business style, Ogbheha says: “As a businessman, Mike Adenuga is one guy who first demands and gets absolute authority in his business. He is in charge. He is absolutely in charge of his business. He is not only in charge, he is also at the top of the business. If you call him at any time of the day to ask him about his telecoms business, he would tell you which town in telecoms is coming on air, where the base stations are. He knows the nitty-gritty of all his businesses. He is always at the top. He would tell you who is drilling what, which engineer is coming in, who is going out, who is being employed and all that. He works so hard. If you have 24 hours in a day, Mike might be working 20 hours. And the five hours he has, he might take that to relax.”
On money, Ogbeha says: “He values money because every money he makes is hard-earned. You may think that he is a rich guy, but if he wants to pay for services, he scrutinizes all those bills very well. He doesn’t just pay for paying sake. But is also generous. Sometimes when he comes to the house and he is happy with my cook, he could give him an amount which is more than his salary for one year. He closes the shop for him. He is that generous…When I was going into politics, he assisted me in terms of cash. Not only that, he also gave me two buses for my campaign.”
To General Ibrahim Babangida, “Mike Adenuga is a very serious businessman. He is not a flamboyant businessman who goes to sleep, folds his arms and say: ‘My business is doing well.’ No, Mike Adenuga is always is always working hard and striving to take his business higher to unimaginable heights. His business is his life. When I left office, a few friends honestly stood by me. And for that I remain eternally grateful to them. Mike Adenuga is one of them.”
To conclude, General Victor Malu, Commander of the ECOMOG peace-keeping force in Liberia (1996-1998) and Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (1999-2001) went to his grave with gratitude to Mike Adenuga, recalling: “I went to Liberia and for one year, I didn’t come to Nigeria because we were fighting throughout. The five thousand dollars Adenuga gave me was my savior. It was more than the worth of five thousand. For three months I didn’t have any allowance because my name was not included on the nominal pay roll. It was that money I survived on. Mike is a very generous human being. He shows you generosity and you have no means of saying thank you to him.”
