Personality in Focus
Happy Birthday Dr. Mike Adenuga, a Rare Gem at 72
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By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Birthdays are times for celebrations. Birthdays are times for reflections. Birthdays mean different things to different people. People celebrate their birthdays for different reasons. For me, birthdays serve as a time for gratitude and appreciation for life and impact on the world.
One of the lessons life has taught me is to succeed. This is so true because when one succeeds, the person will be celebrated by all and sundry. Today, the world celebrates a destiny child, a rare gem, an uncommon achiever and a leader of excellence who has distinguished himself from ordinary and superordinary beings. He is none other than the amiable and amicable Dr. Michael Ishola Agbolade Adenuga, GCON, who will be celebrating his 72 years old on 29th of April.
Indeed, this great feat calls for celebration. It’s not easy to live for 72 awesome years and talk less of being successful. That’s like killing two birds with one stone. If truth be God has been extremely faithful to Chief Adenuga because very few minds will experience his trajectory and still come out alive. Some might even attempt suicidal thoughts when they lose one-third of his fortunes, but here is a man of uncommon courage who knows what he wants, but more importantly, he knows who he is and the spirit working in him.
Dr. Adenuga is a man of his strides, he means different things to different people. To some he’s a spirit you can’t see but can feel. To some, he’s a philanthropist, to others, he’s an uncommon businessman. Depending on how you feel or see him, you are right in your own perspective.
I began to take a closer look at this great man when I was writing my first book Design Your Destiny. My chapter two was focused on “Understanding Your Uniqueness”. I did a research of some extraordinary great minds, who have truly succeeded in unique ways, and Dr. Adenuga’s name came to my subconscious mind. I took my time to study him and his works, and I found him an uncommon being the world, and especially youths need to know. Let’s talk about Dr. Adenuga’s life and accomplishments.
Upbringing: I can imagine how grateful his parents were to see his great strides. I’m a big believer in names. Yes, names can be symbolic. The name one answers has a role to play in their life. Do you know your name can either attract a blessing or curse you. When I did a little research about his name AGBOLADE, it means “the child who has attracted wealth to his family”. Can you see how symbolic a name can be?
On his philanthropist nature. I personally think this is one of his greatest assets and arsenal. Take it or leave it, Dr. Adenuga is one of the most influential givers the world has ever known, if not the most influential. Here is a man who gives and supports people unannounced. Sometimes, he pleads to be anonymous in his generous deeds. Here is a man who doesn’t care about one’s status before he gives. He gives you what he personally uses. For instance, if he drives a G-Wagon or Mercedes Benz, he has the heart of giving his friends, similar gift not minding if you are of a lesser status than him.
A friend of mine once said to me, Henry, if I’m wealthy, intelligent and influential, it should reflect on my friends. When I reflect on that statement and juxtapose it with Dr. Adenuga’s lifestyle, I can see similarities. It simply tells me Dr. Adenuga is a very humble man.
No doubt this extraordinary man has experienced one short fall or made one mistake or the other, but which human hasn’t made a mistake in life? What is important is picking up after a mistake.
Despite his mistakes which have metamorphosed into success. If truth be told Dr. Adenuga has spent 72 years of great achievements, unrivalled philanthropy and exceptional successes. And his mistakes have culminated in this success because he failed fast and rose exponentially.
Dr. Adenuga’s love for this country is unparalleled. He knows himself and knows what he wants. That’s why he returned to Nigeria after his academic studies in the United States of America to begin his business which later transcended to a conglomerate.
It’s humbling to know Dr. Adenuga ventured into oil in his early 40’s and birthed Globalcom on his 50th birthday. That’s a rare feat. He literally changed Nigeria telecommunication with the introduction of per second billing when his competitors were using per minute billing. That goes to show his love for humanity.
He also made it possible for Nigerians, Africans and the less privileged to have access to a SIM card at an affordable price of N5,000 as opposed to N20,000 and N30,000 prevailing by some competitors. Again, this goes to show, he doesn’t exploit humanity.
His business acumen and uncommon courage can be seen when he became the first African to successfully and independently finance a submarine cable that runs from Europe to Africa to help the continent’s telecommunication system to be better. Anyone who thinks it is easy can give it a try.
Dr. Adenuga is a man of uncommon fate. Here is a man who believes “impossible” is only found in the dictionary. He has an uncanny way of figuring this out. He’s a testament of the saying, those who are saying it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those who are doing it.
Dr. Adenuga has numerous qualities many of his counterparts don’t have, globally. Here is an extraordinary man who is dedicated to his business, he’s very detailed. He’s very diligent, he perseveres to the latter and most importantly, he has an undying faith in God. I strongly believe it is the prayer most people pray for him that has given this uncommon favor despite his own endeavors.
Dr. Adenuga’s work has received national and global recognition. He’s a proud recipient of the highest civilian award in France, the award of Commander of the Legion of Honour. He is the first Nigerian to be so decorated with the award for being “a true role model for Africa” who has contributed immensely to the growth of the African and French economy.
He also holds the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second highest national honor, second only to the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), which is only reserved for Nigerian Presidents and Heads of state. That speaks a lot about his rare personality.
In conclusion, as we celebrate this great man, let’s learn from his wealth of knowledge, wisdom, trajectory, business exploits, philanthropist nature, extraordinary humility and most importantly his belief and faith in God.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Personality in Focus
Lessons from Dickem Farms: Two Decades of Pioneering Innovation in Nigeria’s Aquaculture Industry
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Our philosophy has always been simple: innovation should solve real problems, create opportunities and improve livelihoods.”
Introduction
For over two decades, Dickem Farms has remained committed to transforming Nigeria’s aquaculture industry through innovation, technology, enterprise development and human capacity building. What began in 1999 as a vision to improve fish production has evolved into one of the country’s respected aquaculture enterprises, recognized for pioneering practical solutions that have strengthened fish farming and empowered the next generation of agripreneurs.
Dickem Farms was the first to introduce mobile fish ponds into the Nigerian market, making fish farming more flexible, affordable and accessible to investors and smallholder farmers. The company also pioneered the local production of a floating fish feed extruder that uses locally available materials, reducing dependence on imported technology while lowering production costs for fish farmers. In addition, Dickem Farms has invested in modern hatchery systems that produce healthy, high-quality fingerlings to support commercial fish production.
Our philosophy has always been simple: innovation should solve real problems, create opportunities and improve livelihoods.
Recent experiences and initiatives
To get more important information about the farm there were questions on the different aspects, starting with the experiences in the past five years. Let us glean from the horse’s mouth. According to the Managing Director, Godwin Emaketenemi, “Over the last five years, we have continued to strengthen our production systems for both catfish and tilapia. Our focus has been on improving fingerling quality, enhancing pond management practices and maintaining strict water-quality monitoring to maximise fish survival and productivity.
“We also introduced better feeding programmes and comprehensive record-keeping systems that enable us to monitor growth performance, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rates.
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, we have adopted a disciplined strategy of scaling only after achieving consistent operational results.
“This measured approach has enabled Dickem Farms to build a resilient business capable of supplying quality fish and aquaculture services to customers in Lagos and across Nigeria.”
Overcoming challenges:
On the challenges faced and how they were overcome, he stated that: “Like every agricultural enterprise, we have encountered significant challenges. Rising feed costs, unreliable electricity supply and disease management remain major concerns within the aquaculture industry. Instead of allowing these obstacles to limit our growth, we viewed them as opportunities for innovation.
Producing our own quality fish feed has significantly reduced production costs while giving us greater control over feed quality and formulation. We have also improved water-management systems and operational planning to minimize the effects of power instability.
“At the farm level, stronger biosecurity measures, improved hygiene and proactive fish-health monitoring have substantially reduced disease outbreaks and production losses.”
Marketing strategies
With regards to marketing he explained that; “Production alone does not guarantee success; a reliable market is equally important. Dickem Farms has therefore, built long-term relationships with wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and institutional buyers. We grade our fish according to customer specifications and schedule harvesting to coincide with periods of stronger market demand.”
Training programs
Furthermore, with the focus on training he explained that: “Our reputation has been built on dependable supply, consistent quality and customer trust.
One of our proudest achievements is our investment in people. We believe that sustainable agriculture depends not only on technology but also on developing competent professionals and entrepreneurs.
Over the years, Dickem Farms has trained hundreds of staff, industrial attachment (IT) students, graduates and aspiring fish farmers in practical aquaculture.
“Our training covers hatchery management, pond construction and management, fish nutrition, water-quality management, fish-health monitoring, biosecurity and business record-keeping.
More importantly, we do not stop at training. We mentor young graduates and entrepreneurs, providing technical guidance and business support until they are confident enough to establish and successfully manage their own enterprises. Seeing former trainees become successful employers and business owners remains one of our greatest rewards.
“Continuous learning has also shaped our growth. Through partnerships with foreign organisations and technical visits to leading aquaculture companies, we have gained valuable knowledge in modern hatchery technology, fish-health management, production efficiency and operational excellence.”
Government ‘s support
Coming to the need for government’s support he beamed light on it this way:
“These experiences have strengthened our technical capacity and enabled us to transfer global best practices to Nigerian farmers.
Nigeria possesses enormous potential to become a leading aquaculture producer in Africa. However, unlocking that potential requires stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
We recommend tax exemptions or significant tax incentives for fish farming and aquaculture value-chain businesses to encourage investment.
“Farmers also need affordable financing with realistic repayment terms, reliable access to quality fingerlings, improved energy support and stronger extension services that provide timely technical guidance on fish health and disease prevention. Organized marketing systems that connect producers directly with institutional buyers will further strengthen the industry’s competitiveness.”
Piece of advice to the younger generation:
His piece of advice to young people who might be interested to go into fish farming:
“To young people considering aquaculture as a career or business, my advice is straightforward: seek proper training and find a credible mentor. Fish farming is a science and a business that rewards discipline, knowledge and patience. Begin with manageable investments, keep accurate records, master water-quality management and learn from experienced practitioners before expanding.
“A good mentor can save years of costly mistakes and accelerate the journey to success.”
As the future beckons:
As for plans for the future he highlighted that: “Looking ahead, Dickem Farms will continue to invest in innovation, local technology development, commercial hatchery expansion, fish-feed production, modern aquaculture equipment and practical capacity building. Our ambition is not only to grow our business but also to contribute meaningfully to food security, employment creation and economic development.
Our long-term vision extends beyond Nigeria.
“We believe Africa possesses the resources, talent and entrepreneurial spirit to feed itself and compete globally. Through innovation, strategic partnerships and investment in people, Dickem Farms will continue to play its part in building a modern aquaculture industry that delivers prosperity for farmers, affordable nutrition for families and sustainable growth for the continent.
Our mission remains unwavering: to inspire a future where Africans feed Africa through innovation, enterprise and excellence in agriculture.”
These indeed, are brilliant submissions for us all to learn from now and always.
The Chairman of First HoldCo, Femi Otedola, has strengthened his stake in the financial institution after acquiring an additional 1.77 billion shares valued at N222.20 billion.
Details contained in a disclosure filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that the shares were purchased on Thursday through his investment company, Calvados Global Services Limited.
The latest transaction raised Otedola’s shareholding in First HoldCo from 9.99 billion shares to 11.77 billion shares, with his ownership increasing from 21.96 per cent to 25.88 per cent.
The purchase marks Otedola’s second major investment in the company this July, following his acquisition of 706.13 million shares worth N77.58 billion on July 22.
With the fresh acquisition, Otedola’s total investment in First HoldCo has climbed to N1.47 trillion, making him the institution’s largest shareholder.
Tributes have continued to pour in for renowned entrepreneur and construction magnate, Otunba Muraina Olatunji Banjoko (MOB), as he marks his 65th birthday, with the Chairman/GCEO of Adron Group, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, leading the celebration with glowing commendation for the accomplished business leader and philanthropist.
In his goodwill message, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking described the Chairman and CEO of Threeco Construction Company Limited as an icon of excellence whose remarkable contributions to business, community development, and humanity have earned him widespread admiration and enduring respect.
He noted that Otunba Banjoko has distinguished himself as an accomplished entrepreneur, visionary leader, and compassionate philanthropist whose impact transcends the construction industry. According to him, under the celebrant’s leadership, Threeco Construction Company Limited has become synonymous with quality, professionalism, and reliability, while his numerous humanitarian initiatives have positively transformed lives and communities.
He further acknowledged the numerous traditional and honorary titles held by the celebrant, including the Oluwo of Ibaragunland, Baba Adini of Akuteland, Ifo Local Government Renewed Hope Ambassador, Otunba of Akuteland, Bashorun of Agbado, and Dr. Olowore Adini of Egbaland, describing them as a reflection of the immense respect and admiration he commands across different spheres of society.
“As Otunba Muraina Olatunji Banjoko marks this remarkable milestone, we celebrate not only his achievements but also his commitment to excellence, integrity, and service to humanity. His life remains a shining example of purposeful leadership and enduring impact,” Aare Adetola Emmanuelking stated.
He prayed that Almighty God would grant the celebrant renewed strength, sound health, greater wisdom, and many more years of fulfilment, prosperity, and impactful service, expressing confidence that his legacy of excellence and selfless service would continue to flourish for generations to come.
