How do you begin a book about one of Nigeria’s best known serial entrepreneurs and one of the richest men on the continent? Do you begin from when he was born or from a dramatic moment of outstanding achievement?

Mike Adenuga or Niyi as his friends call him or The Bull as admirers, rivals, and traducers hail him defies easy categorisation or classification. He is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum.

To commemorate his 72nd birthday, I have begun cataloguing attributes that not only define Chief Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr CSG GCON, the founder of Globacom, and the moving spirit behind Conoil but which can also be seen as business primer for those wishing to follow in his prodigious footsteps.

Strive to be the primus inter pares:

In 1990 after the FG granted discretionary licences to 11 Nigerian businessmen to play in the oil and gas space, Mike Adenuga’s Consolidated oil (now Conoil) was the first to strike oil making him the first amongst equals. It wasn’t happenstance or luck, it was thanks to a planned, intentional and deliberate business strategy which has not flagged with Conoil still leading the pack decades after and even after more indigenous players have joined the fray.

You must learn to eat adversity for breakfast:

Think about it. Mike Adenuga has a high adversity quotient! How so? The man wins an auction, pays $20m deposit and then has his licence revoked leading to the loss of said deposit. What does he do? He returns years later and puts down over 10 times the amount he lost to obtain another licence and once he does so he powers on to change the telecom industry in Nigeria by unveiling innovative and people-oriented solutions all the other telcos said was impossible. Never say die!

Excellence must define your game:

What is excellence but the ability to excel and be the best. It speaks to greatness but not just a passing one. It speaks to greatness defined by consistency. Think about it; very few Nigerian businessmen have managed to excel in different sectors of the economy. You can probably count them on the fingers of one hand, but this is not a comment on their ability but a recognition of what it means to excel. Austin Avuru, oil man extraordinaire acknowledges this in his book, My Entrepreneurship Journey where he writes – “Globacom was established by Mike Adenuga a serial participant in Nigeria’s privatisation and liberalisation efforts across four major sectors (Banking, Petroleum Downstream, Telecoms and Petroleum Downstream).”

You must have a marathoner’s mindset:

To run a marathon you require speed, but not just speed, you need strength, persistence, and a mind focused on the long term. That is the difference between athletes like the Olympic champions – sprinter Usain Bolt and marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. The marathoner does not rush off with speed, he paces himself, conserves his energy, studies his competitors and plots his path to victory.

Make money but have a heart for people:

Mike Adenuga, like every businessman, set up his businesses to make money but there is always an altruistic element and this is evident from Conoil and its pocket friendly lubes to Globacom and its mass market and people-friendly innovations and the philanthropic works he carries out, quietly and without fuss through the Mike Adenuga and Glo Foundations something that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu highlighted in his 72nd birthday tribute – “Nigerians will always appreciate Globacom’s ingenuity in disrupting the billing template in the telecommunications sector. By pioneering per-second billing, Glo expanded telephony and digital access to millions of Nigerians… Dr. Adenuga’s philanthropy, through the Mike Adenuga Foundation, has touched many lives—supporting tertiary education, healthcare, and cultural advancement across our nation.”

Learn to move in silence but with impact:

Anyone of age in 1986 and who was able to read and write and listen to the radio or TV must remember the fever that gripped the world as we braced ourselves for the return of Halley’s comet which astrologers say orbits the earth once every 75 years to 76 years. Adenuga’s appearance in public is like Halley’s comet, rare but heralded by pageantry and as newsworthy as can be. Mike Adenuga is the master of savvy exclusivity. We don’t see him, but we can’t stop talking about him.

It’s a job but it’s not just a job:

When you go to work for Mike Adenuga, there are two things he would almost always demand from you – honesty and loyalty but not the type that sees you being dragged to Okija shrine. He just wants you to be a committed member of the team and what does he offer, not just a good salary and perks but an opportunity to become a member of his very large family. Your employees should feel seen, appreciated and part of a whole.

Be always plugged into the zeitgeist:

What does Mike Adenuga do with his time since no one sees him in public? Good question. While no one has the full details of his daily itinerary, the fact is that Mike Adenuga like most business leaders keeps a finger on the pulse of the world – news, music, movies, politics, books and everything happening around him because you won’t mention the name of a musical artist or actor or politician in his presence and get a blank stare. Nah!

Have a generous heart:

There is philanthropy and then there is generosity. Both must never be conflated because while philanthropy can be a corporate strategy, generosity is personal, selfless and from the heart. The distinction is important in situating Mike Adenuga’s large heartedness. When corporate Nigeria was falling over themselves to ride upon the popularity of hot and young actors, Mike Adenuga’s Globacom went above and beyond by initiating a nostalgia project that revived the careers of stars from decades before from Amebo to Madam Kofo, Zebrudaya to Femi Jarret, Nelly Uchendu to Bright Chimezie and many others.

Be bullish, be resilient, be stable:

Why is Mike Adenuga called The Bull? Is it because he is a Taurean, the zodiac sign symbolised by a bull or a recognition and celebration of his masculine energy, his strength of character, his power and resilience. Wherever it came from, it is not wide off the mark because it refers to a man who is stable, grounded, likes luxury and loves the finer things in life. A man’s man.

Our headline says 72 things and you have just read 10. Well, wait for the book, but in the meantime raise a toast to Otunba Mike Adenuga.

. Kan was a former Head of PR at Globacom.

A fast-rising African cryptocurrency exchange, ZendWallet, has launched a new stablecoin payment feature, Zendfx.

This feature allows users to make easy global business payments using USDT and USDC.

ZendWallet has processed over $3 billion in transactions, with 95% of payments completed within 48 hours.

Now, with Zendfx, the platform is making cross-border payments quicker, more affordable, and more reliable using USDT and USDC.

Businesses across Africa can now make faster, simpler cross-border payments with ZendWallet’s new USDT and USDC stablecoin payment feature.

Through Zendfx, businesses can send payments directly from their Zend Business accounts in USD, EUR, CAD, or GBP to countries such as China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the United States of America, and 150 others.

To access Zend Fx, businesses must sign up on ZendWallet.com and complete the KYB verification on a ZendBusiness account.

Once verified, they can fund their accounts with USDT or USDC and execute transactions swiftly.

Payments require an invoice for verification and are processed within 24 to 72 business hours.

Users must also provide essential beneficiary details, including SWIFT codes, for accurate fund transfers.

Zend Fx’s key highlights include multi-currency transactions, a minimum payment threshold of $1,000, and a maximum limit of $1,000,000 per transaction.

According to the CEO, Elujoba Adedamola, “Businesses in Africa often face challenges with cross-border payments due to restrictions and high fees. Zendfx addresses this issue by offering a reliable and clear payment method using stablecoins,” he said.

The feature improves international transactions, removing the complexities of traditional banking while ensuring compliance through the Know Your Business (KYB) verification process.

ZendWallet’s move signals the growing use of stablecoins in Africa’s financial ecosystem, providing businesses with more flexibility and better ways to make cross-border payments.

For more details, read the full blog post here or visit ZendWallet.com.

[Nairametrics]

The future of Umuezeukwu, a community in Nsulu’s Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, hangs in the balance as residents and landowners of the Abia Airport project site make a desperate plea to Governor Alex Otti for a more equitable resolution.

Residents spoke to journalists within the community today, expressing deep concerns that the current land allocation for the airport project will not only displace them from their ancestral homes and farmlands, but will also jeopardise the community’s very existence.

The crux of the issue is the community’s repeated, unanswered requests for dialogue with the Abia State government about the amount of land allocated for the airport.

They are specifically demanding a minimum 500-meter buffer zone between the airport perimeter and their homes, which they claim has been consistently ignored, resulting in some homes and farmlands falling within the airport’s boundaries.

Chief Uche Ubani, a respected community leader, emphasised the project’s far-reaching consequences. “We are facing a stark reality,” he said. “Our ancestral lands, which have supported generations, are being taken away. Our children will have no place to build homes or farms, and, tragically, we may not even have a place to bury our dead.

The community acknowledges previous land size reductions for the airport project, noting that these adjustments benefited other communities such as Agburuike, Umuogu, Ikputu, and parts of Umuosu and Umuode.

However, Umuezeukwu claims they have been overlooked, prompting an urgent request for assistance. “We urgently request that the government implement the minimum 500-meter setback from our homes. “We are not asking for much, just enough to ensure our community’s future,” Chief Ubani emphasised.

Ebere Adieze, President General of Umuezeukwu, expressed his deep concern and denied that he had previously approved the project as is. He also lamented alleged harassment and intimidation against the community for simply seeking dialogue.

“It is even more concerning that their desperation has led them to tell the Federal High Court in Abuja that I had a meeting with the Attorney General of Abia State on April 24, 2025, where I accepted what they were doing well and discredited the Court action; all of those statements are false. I have never met with anyone at all.”

Adieze clarified that their concerns go well beyond compensation. “The issue is not compensation; it is about our survival and providing us with alternative sources of income, as we are all agrarians in this village. What we saw in Umuezukwu was that instead of 500 metres, our houses and farmlands were now inside the airport,” he said.

“Our children and future generations will no longer have a place to build homes or live. If all of the lands are taken in this quantum, I am concerned that our lives will be jeopardised. “We might not have a place to bury our dead.”

Exacerbating the situation, the community claims that the government is now acquiring additional land for an airport access road, which they claim was not originally planned.

“We invited the government, but they are not listening. The same government has gone through the back of our village to mark another area for the construction of an airport access road, which was not part of the original plan for the proposed airport,” Adieze added.

The emotional toll on residents is clear. Victoria Anya Ugochukwu, a widow, expressed her despair. “I am a widow. My husband’s land is completed. We do not even have a place to bury the dead.

“We agreed to everything, but they are intimidating and attempting to arrest our youths.”

Favour Uche, another resident, expressed similar concerns about homelessness and displacement.

Community leaders Chidiadi Ehilegbu and Chijioke Orji reiterated the need for a roundtable discussion and further land reduction.

“We are not talking about compensation,” Ehilegbu said. “The government is supposed to serve the people, and as a community, we have some rights as well. We are demanding further reductions and a roundtable discussion with you.” Orji added:

“They should come for sightseeing to back up what we are saying. They are meeting with the wrong people. Come reduce the size of the land. Okpulor should provide us with 500 metres, as required.

“You cannot come and start tracing people’s land without first informing the landowners. They are acquiring additional land for the access road, which was not originally planned for the airport.”

The community accuses security personnel of intimidating residents and criticises the government for failing to respond to their numerous letters.

They are now pinning their hopes on Governor Alex Otti, urging him to visit Umuezeukwu and see the situation firsthand.

“We appeal to Governor Alex Otti to personally visit and assess our situation,” Chief Ubani said. “We believe his aides are misinforming him about the project’s impact. We need him to see for himself the devastating impact this project is having on our community and to assist us in finding a solution that will allow us to survive and thrive.”

The Abia Airport project, which is intended to bring economic growth and development to the state, is at a critical juncture.

Umuezeukwu’s plea emphasises the importance of a more inclusive and considerate approach, one that balances progress with community identity and citizen well-being.

The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Governor Otti will heed their call and propose a solution that addresses their concerns while also securing Umuezeukwu’s future.

The European Union (EU) in partnership with the United Nations and the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched three projects aimed at strengthening health services, social protection and community resilience across the country.

The launching which took place at the Sokoto State Government House, drew high-level participation from the EU Ambassador, Gautier Mignor who led ambassadors of Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and Germany to the event.

Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who was represented by his deputy, Idris Gobir said the projects launched in the state include Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH), Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI), and Support for Protection, Assistance, and Durable Solutions.

Governor Aliyu said the projects are not only timely but also perfectly aligned with the developmental priorities of his administration.

“These initiatives are directly aligned with our government’s 9-Point smart innovative Agenda, particularly in the areas of healthcare, social welfare, and protection for the most vulnerable members of our society,” the Governor said.

Prominent on the delegation include UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate; Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Dr. Vanessa Phala; UNFPA Resident Representative, Dr. Gifty Addico and Country Director of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Pierre Mendiharat.

The €60 million projects, which are designed to tackle key challenges affecting millions of Nigerians, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities, will be implemented between 2024 and 2027.

At the launch, the EU Ambassador reaffirmed the EU’s deep commitment to equity and inclusion.

“The EU is proud to invest in Nigeria’s future through programmes that leave no one behind-whether it is better healthcare, livelihood support, or social protection,” Mignor said.

In a same vein, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Munduate, emphasised the importance of resilience and system strengthening.

“Social protection is a vital mechanism for reducing poverty and promoting inclusive development. And through SARAH, we are improving healthcare access for girls and mothers. Together with the EU, ILO, UNFPA, and DRC, we are helping Nigeria build strong systems that protect every child,” Munduate said.

DRC’s Pierre Mendiharat added that the programmes were community-driven, with action plans based on local priorities to ensure lasting and inclusive solutions.

At the Sultanate Council, Mignor told the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar of the EU’s determination to partner with the Sultanate, while stressing the Council’s role in addressing humanitarian challenges in Nigeria.

The Sultan expressed optimism that the high-powered delegation comprising eight other Ambassadors from EU member states in Nigeria, sends strong message against those who paint the country in the bad light.

He assured that the religious and traditional leaders will work hand-in-hand with the state government to ensure the successfully implementation of the projects.

[Leadership]

The recent terrorist attacks in Benin have become a troubling signal: the threat of terrorism is no longer confined to the Sahel region. Jihadist groups are expanding their reach — if previously they concentrated on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, now countries further south are under attack.

While the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are enhancing coordination and strengthening military cooperation, ECOWAS unfortunately shows political passivity, failing to offer effective support to those now facing terrorists head-on. As a bloc focused primarily on political goals, ECOWAS has proven incapable of acting as a real military alliance, especially in times of crisis. A former Beninese serviceman has also spoken out on the attacks and condemned ECOWAS’s lack of support.

Against this backdrop, AES emerges as a phenomenon of its time — a regional alliance created in direct response to real threats. The alliance’s primary mission is the fight against terrorism, and for that reason, its member armies are actively building their capabilities: training personnel, modernizing military equipment, and boosting combat readiness. This is critical, as jihadist groups use advanced weaponry and rapidly adapt to changing conditions.

According to a military expert, the situation in Benin is dire. “Benin’s army today resembles Burkina Faso’s in 2015 or Mali’s FAMA in 2011. Aside from a few elite units protecting key sites, the rest of the army is in a fragile state. I was there in 2019, 2020, and 2021 — their weapons are outdated, and they lack critical combat experience,” he said anonymously.

The Sahel’s experience proves that without stronger armed forces and political resolve, there is no way to stop the spread of terrorism. Benin needs not only support but a new approach to regional security.

[TheCable]

Valentine Ozigbo, an All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in Anambra State, has declared that the Labour Party, LP, is not what people think it is.

Ozigbo disclosed that LP is almost dying and soon people will start seeing mass defections from the party.

Featuring on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Ozigbo alleged that most elected members of LP want to seek reelection from other platforms.

He said: “I joined APC from Labour Party and I will make my case very clear, I didn’t just leave Labour Party, I made analogies of what I think about these parties in Nigeria.

“You got to do your checks and take certain decisions for posterity, for the future.

“Labour Party is not exactly what people think they are, it’s almost in its dying days and overtime, people are going to see this – how people are leaving the party.

“There is hardly any elected member of the party that I have spoken to that is intending to run for his election under the same platform, so Labour party for me is in the past.

“I took a decision to go into APC not because I’m here to justify all the actions of APC, I’m here rather as a catalyst for change, if this is the only option we have today; then some good people need to go in there and become an agent of change, I want to see myself as one of those agents and that’s why I moved.

“When I moved, it became the trending topic of the time, even up till now. For anybody to say I went into APC without supporters is very laughable. Nicholas moved into APC a month before me and nobody said anything, but since I joined, I’m already adding value to APC.

“My moving into APC changed the trajectory. There are allegations that maybe Mr. President wants Soludo to come back because he sees him as an opponent of Peter Obi.

“Even if that is correct, it’s an inferior proposition, Soludo must have gone to whoever to say APC is weak and his problem is Labour. So support me in APGA so that I will come back because you don’t want Labour to win Anambra State.

“APC is weak, Labour is strong, by me leaving Labour to join APC, it is strong today – and this is why I’m fighting this battle – if you go to the real people in APC, they will understand the battle that I’m fighting, they won’t want this type of deal where Soludo is APGA in the afternoon and APC at night.

“So he creates a confusion where you are not strengthening the party or helping anybody, so if you want to be a man, be a man and if you want to be a woman, be a woman.

“If Soludo wants to be APGA, be APGA – APGA is in the past.”

[DailyPost]

The United Kingdom is reportedly preparing to impose new visa restrictions on Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals as part of an aggressive effort to reform its immigration system and curb visa abuse.

According to a report by The Times, the UK Home Office has identified citizens from these countries as among the most likely to overstay their visas and later seek asylum—a move that grants them permanent residency rights if approved.

In response, officials said the affected nationalities may soon face tougher requirements when applying for student or work visas.

“Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

The Home Office said it is building intelligence systems to identify individuals likely to exploit the visa system early in the process.

“We keep the visa system under constant review, and where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action,” the statement added.

The full details of the proposed visa changes will be released later in May as part of the UK’s long-awaited Immigration White Paper.

[TheNation]

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on all levels of government in Nigeria to urgently redirect national focus toward critical areas of development, particularly health, education, and poverty alleviation.

Obi made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday via X, warning that the country’s worsening poverty levels were a result of years of misplaced priorities.

“In Nigeria today, the situation we find ourselves in calls for urgent and deliberate action,” he said. “It is time for all levels of government to prioritise critical areas of development—particularly investment in health, education, and poverty alleviation.”

Citing recent data from the World Bank, Obi said the poverty rate among rural Nigerians has now risen to over 75 per cent as of April 2025, while 41.3 per cent of Nigeria’s urban population also lives below the poverty line.

“This shows that poverty is no longer just a rural crisis—it has become a national emergency,” he stated.

According to the former governor of Anambra State, the current levels of poverty are significantly worse than in previous years.

“In comparison, the World Bank reported that in 2018/2019, about 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line. As of 2025, that figure has more than doubled instead of improving,” he added.

He blamed the deterioration on what he described as misplaced government priorities over the years.

“These facts confirm that poverty in Nigeria has worsened significantly—and this is no coincidence,” he said. “It is the direct result of years of misplaced priorities. Rather than investing in critical sectors, we have continued to prioritise wasteful spending on non-developmental projects such as conference centres, government houses and lodges, guest houses, and fleets of official vehicles.”

Obi emphasised the need to shift attention to human capital development as the foundation for national transformation.

“We must reassess what truly matters. The decisions we make—what we build, fund, and focus on—must align with the pressing needs of the people,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s path to development lies in expanding access to quality education and healthcare and in supporting job creation through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

“Nigeria must expand access to quality education and healthcare and support job creation by investing in and empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, which are essential for lifting people out of poverty,” Obi stated.

[Punch]

Cristiano dos Santos, the eldest son of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, was called up to the Portugal Under-15 squad for the first time on Tuesday.

The 14-year-old, who, like his father, plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, has also had spells with Ronaldo’s former clubs Manchester United and Juventus.

The Selecao Under-15s will face Japan, Greece and England at the Vlatko Markovic youth tournament in Croatia between May 13-18.

Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s all-time top goal scorer and still a Portugal international himself at 40, has five children.

The striker won Euro 2016 with his country, helping them lift their first major trophy, although he came off hurt early in the final against France.

AFP