Mike Adenuga, billionaire telco guru drives cultural transformation in Nigeria
Billionaire telco guru, Chief Mike Adenuga Jr. has again recorded another first. Reputed for his passion for cultural transformation and integration, Mike Adenuga, founder of Globacom Limited, one of Nigeria’s biggest telecom networks has completed The Mike Adenuga Centre, a world-class edifice conceived to promote cross-cultural immersion and change the cultural landscape in Lagos. This development was made public in a social media announcement by the Globacom Vice-President, Mrs. Bella Disu who is also Mr. Adenuga’s daughter. The project which started 15 months ago, has been spearheaded by Mrs. Disu who is as passionate about the project as her father. Making the announcement on her Linked-In page shortly after the Centre’s signage was unveiled, she declared: “It’s a very emotional and proud moment seeing our signage up. The past 15 months have been a myriad of sleepless nights, site visits/meetings and relentless team effort; all to birth the promise of my father to create a hub for cross-cultural immersion and change the cultural landscape of Lagos State.” “I present to you, The Mike Adenuga Centre, a world class edifice and the new home of Alliance Française (AF), Lagos. While there’s a lot to unveil in the coming weeks, today we kick off with a bouquet of language classes,” she said. Following her surprised announcement, there has been a deluge of response from excited Nigerians who have described the edifice as a gift to posterity. Lolade Adewuyi, a columnist at The Guardian said “Indeed, it’s a laudable project. Learning French in a beautiful environment is great. My time at AF in Ikoyi back in 2003 was wonderful, I’m sure the new generation of learners will appreciate this. Félicitations et bonne chance pour tous.” Peter Odusina, Facilities Manager at PROVAST LTD, an Integrated facility management services company congratulated Mike Adenuga for the project, adding that the achievement will spur the growth of French language in Nigeria. He also congratulated Bella Disu for her relentless effort in making the project a reality. In a similar vein, Dr. Taiwo Ojo, CEO, Kish Global Consultants, who is a former employee at Globacom said ” Africa is so proud of you both. What a global leadership attribute exemplified by the Guru and daughter; adorable Bella Disu. The edifice is so strategic.” Alliance Française de Lagos is present in Yaba, Ikeja (in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education), in Victoria Island (in partnership with Lycée-Louis-Pasteur) and Ikoyi. It is a 60-year-old French language and cultural centre, part of the largest cultural network around the world with more than 840 Alliances. The Nigerian network has ten associations throughout the country, in Enugu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jos, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Maiduguri, Owerri and Port Harcourt. Each Alliance française centre is a non-for-profit Nigerian association headed by a Nigerian board. Alliance française has three main goals: – Offering French classes for all kind of audiences, Promoting French and francophone cultures and fostering cultural diversity through the promotion of all culture. Read the full article
