Dr. Mike Adenuga: When the ‘Spirit’ decided to come out to party, by Abiodun Caston-Dada
This is surely one week many netizens won’t forget in a hurry. It is a week when one of Africa’s richest men, actually, the second richest man in Africa, Dr. Mike Adenuga decided to step out and bless the world with his appearance in the public, not even just the public but a party! Since what was supposed to be a casual video found its way onto the internet, the rare video of “Spirit of Africa” partying with friends has been trending, and likely going to be one of the most trending videos of the week.
Dr. Mike Adenuga’s public appearance caught many unaware. Here is a man that is known for his elusive nature and who rarely steps out or attends public or social functions, even the ones organized and sponsored by his companies, but boom! He suddenly appeared at a party, and not just appearing at a party but cheering up, pumping handshakes with people and calling some by their nicknames. What was the occasion that could have brought out the business titan fondly called ‘The Bull’? It was the private birthday soiree of Bright Igbinedion (one of the sons of Esama of Benin Kingdom, Gabriel Igbinedion) held in Lekki, Lagos. Many of the guests at the exclusive birthday party were caught off guard by the appearance of the business tycoon and this can be seen on their faces as they exchange pleasantries. Looking trimmer and elegant in his casual outfit that oozes elegance, the billionaire casually walked in and one can see how the atmosphere changed and became electrifying. The Chairman’s appearance at the event no doubt beamed the spotlight on him since he usually put up minimal public appearance and known to be media shy.
Why the buzz around the video? The truth is, many have only been seeing the photos of the business titan but not a video.
This Dr. Mike Adenuga’s public appearance did not only generated buzz but also revealed another ‘secret’ many people don’t know about this enigma as one of the people making comments one of the many social media posts revealed that Dr. Mike Adenuga can be very lively when he is in his elements, and will even go as far as discussing Arsenal, the English premiership team with his staff. And I have to ask myself, why are so many of these big men fans of Arsenal sef?
Being a billionaire or a business icon doesn’t exclude one from having fun once a while. The super billionaire knows how to unwind and treat himself to good Italian dishes and the finest of Cognac, and when he wants to let off steams, he usually invites some of his close friends and allies to private parties in the courtyard of his sprawling mansion tucked inside the ‘Billionaire’s Nest’ called Banana Island in Ikoyi where various tasty meals and choice drinks are made available alongside top-tier entertainment.
Dr. Mike Adenuga sits atop a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, The Mike Adenuga Group which consists of Globacom, a telecommunication company; Cobblestone Properties and Estates, a real estate and property development company; Conoil PLC, a petroleum marketing company, Conoil Producing, a crude exploration and production company; Worldspan Consult Nigeria Limited, Julius Berger, and Consolidated Manufacturing (West Africa) Ltd.
Dr. Adenuga, the business master strategist holds the highest national honour of three major countries, including the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in Nigeria, Companion of the Star of Ghana and Commander of the Legion of Honour in France.
Dr. Mike Adenuga is one Nigerian billionaire who I admire so much and look forward to meeting someday, and like Basorun Dele Momodu once wrote, “not many people could ever claim they’ve ever seen or met Adenuga in person”, the reason he is nicknamed “The Spirit”.
