Even at home in Nigeria, multi-billionaire tycoon, Dr. Mike Agbolade Adenuga Jnr. remains elusive. The Globacom founder is known to always display an uncommon maturity. He is a man of few words and prefers to let his silent action speak for itself. Adenuga —also fondly called Chairman of Chairmen by some fellow billionaires—does not fancy anyone invading his much cherished and closely guarded life and lifestyle. For the ultra-wealthy businessman, he loves being a very simple but an invincible and intriguing man. In the league of fellow African billionaires, despite the humongous war chest in his custody, one major attribute that sets him apart from the rest is that he seldom makes public appearances.
The last time anyone could recollect sighting the billionaire in public was in December 2019 when he stepped out —after a very long time— to witness her beloved daughter, who is the Executive Vice Chairman, Globacom, Bella receive the French national honour of Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) for her great support for French arts and culture. Nearly two years after, it was surprising —not to a few—to see the very reclusive Adenuga, early this week join other Nigeria’s wealthiest men together with other world and industry leaders who have gathered in France for the Paris International Business Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss trade and investment in the post-COVID world. Macron has inaugurated the France-Nigeria Business Council – a private sector initiative to enhance business relations between the two countries.
The council has Nigerian billionaire and Founder of Nigeria’s BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, as its inaugural President. In the newly inaugurated council representing Nigeria are Adenuga alongside Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury; Aliko Dangote; Tony Elumelu and Access Bank boss Herbert Wigwe. The largest French corporations including Dassault, Danone, Axens, Ponticelli and Total Energies are also members of the council. What could be that special about Paris that would have drawn Adenuga out to partake in the summit personally and even agree to serve in the council? That reason is not farfetched.
From its bustling riverbanks, the beauty and charm of its architecture, the delicious food, countless opportunities to explore art, culture, and history —the reasons many aristocrats love Paris are as diverse as the city itself. However, Adenuga’s great love for the city of light is interminable. It was gathered that Paris remains one of the few favourite cities for the quintessential mogul. He is said to know the best restaurant in Paris, which he frequents whenever he is there. And when it comes to big business, Adenuga is known for its strong ties with France. His flagship ventures —Globacom and Conoil— have had nearly two decades of strong business relationships with French companies including Total and Alcatel, which is now Nokia Alcatel-Lucent. Adenuga also relies on French top banks for his financial transactions —it was BNP Paribas that loaned him the $265million to start Globacom. Adenuga actually credited several of his successes in business to partnerships with French firms whom he has leant on to build his fortune. “Our relationship with French business has been a long and extremely beneficial one,” he once stated. His Mike Adenuga Foundation also supports the principal international French cultural organisation, Alliance Francaise, in Lagos. During his state visit to Nigeria three years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned the multi-billion dollars palatial state-of the-art Mike Adenuga Alliance Francaise Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos donated by Adenuga to promote French and Nigerian cultures in Lagos. Little wonder Adenuga was conferred with the Legion of Honour which is the highest order of merit for military and civil merits established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. He became the first Nigerian to receive this honour. The love, obviously, is trans-generational as Adenuga’s beloved daughter, Bella has also fallen in love with the French capital as indicative of her naming her avant garde luxury service apartment in Ikoyi Sisi Paris.