By BENJAMIN NJOKU

When it comes to big spenders who have left a lasting impression on the Nigerian entertainment circuit, a few names come to mind. And one of such names is Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr.

Interestingly, Adenuga’s passion for growth is not limited to the entertainment industry, but cuts across all sectors of the Nigerian economy, ranging from business to culture, tourism and sports.

But for whatever reason, Adenuga’s love for the entertainment industry is topnotch. To many, the story of the Nigerian entertainment landscape wouldn’t be complete without Adenuga’s name featuring prominently as the biggest spender in the industry.

Over the years, Adenuga’s Globacom has been a frontline supporter of the limelight industry through sponsoring of programmes and corporate endorsements for practitioners of all genres.

For instance, if you were privileged to watch the popular comedy TV series,”Professor Johnbul”, which premiered on NTA Network in 2016, and sponsored by Globacom, then you would acknowledge Adenuga Jnr as the  big  name that would continue to resonate with the Nigerian entertainers.

The comedy TV series, which were based on reviving morals in the Nigerian society had six seasons, before it went off air in 2018. But while it lasted, the hilarious series produced by Tchidi Chikere which starred some of Nollywood greats, including legendary Kanayo O. Kanayo, who played the lead role from whom it derived the name Professor Johnbull was one out of several other landmark programmes which were sponsored by Adenuga’s Globacom to boost the entertainment sector.

Industry operators are still engrossed with other entertainment events sponsored by Globacom such as Glo Campus Storm, Glo Rock ‘n’ Rule’; Glo Slide ‘n’ Bounce; Glo Laffta Fest; Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour, Dance with Peter, Glo X-Factor, and Glo Naija Sings.

‘Glo Lafta Fest’, which was regarded as the biggest music, dance, and comedy event in Nigeria, brought top-rated African comedians like Bovi, Salvador of Uganda, Basket Mouth, Gordons, I Go Dye, 2Cantok, Seyi Law among others together in one place for an evening of unlimited fun and laughter. The show was historic and resonated with the people. So also were ‘Glo Slide and Bounce’, a travel music and dance show; and the ‘Bovi man on Fire Lagos and Warri editions”, thanks to the generosity of the billionaire businessman.

Also, a few years back, Globacom brought the world’s biggest dance reality show, ‘Battle of the Year’, to Nigeria. The winners in seven different categories went home with mega millions in cash, space wagons as well as bagged an opportunity to represent the country at the global edition of the competition.

Apart from sponsorships, Adenuga also has personal relationships with some of the entertainers. At various times, his favourite comedians like Godons Basketmouth and Bovi, who have been ambassadors for the Glo brand, had benefited immensely from their personal relationships with the man with a large heart.

Despite his predilection for shunning the limelight, Adenuga reportedly drove himself to the album launch of Paul Play Dairo, a phenomenon in the Nigerian music scene in the late 90s and early 2000s, to the surprise of guests. He was equally there for the veteran musician who he took in 2009 and had a long break to seek medical attention. Paul Play confessed that he didn’t publicly raise funds because “People like Dr Mike Adenuga were there for me.”

It was the same story when Juju music maestro Ebenezer Obey, who had retired from secular music decades earlier to concentrate on evangelism, needed to undergo eye surgery many years back. Adenuga bankrolled his medical bills abroad. That gesture helped to restore Obey’s health and returned him to musical reckoning. That’s not all, the Globacom boss also blessed the Miliki Exponent with an Escalade SUV.

READ ALSO: Mike Adenuga Jnr @71: His indelible footprints on Nigeria’s entertainment landscape

According to industry sources, when it comes to appreciating movies, Adenuga is always one of the first to have a movie exclusively screened for him and his family in his expansive home cinema. Kunle Afolayan, one of Nigeria’s foremost filmmakers and former Globacom ambassador, had screened a number of his movies for Adenuga at the comfort of his home.

Adenuga’s sustained passion for the showbiz sector didn’t start today. It dated back to 2003, when he established Globacom, and since then, the Bull as he’s fondly called by his admirers, hasn’t stopped churning out millionaires among the Nigerian entertainers. His belief is that by actively engaging these key entertainment drivers, they in turn can positively impact thousands of others who are working with them and by doing so, help to grow the sector and the economy at large.

For more than two decades, Adenuga has opened his wallet to transform many lives in the entertainment sector. No one has given more than Adenuga as far as the limelight industry is concerned in Nigeria and Africa at large. Till date, Adenuga’s Globacom retains the largest number of key players in the entertainment sector as brand Ambassadors. Many established and unheralded entertainers have been blessed immeasurably by Adenuga’s love and patronage of the industry.

It’s on record that the least paid Glo ambassador smiles home with at least N10 million per year depending on their level of stardom. But the highest-paid ambassador was P-Square group, which, at the height of its fame, was reportedly paid over N200 million with Peter also getting a 2015 G-Wagon, while Paul got a Range Rover as part of the deal.

Before then, D’banj was reputed to be the highest-paid ambassador. In 2008, he was signed on as a Globacom ambassador in a deal reportedly worth N70 million and got a branded SUV estimated at N15 million. As the headlining act during the company’s Rock and Rule tour of Nigerian cities then, he got N2 million per show and was signed on for 18 cities. He was disengaged in 2010 due to a face-off with the company over performance engagement fees and re-engaged in 2013.

But the pillar ambassadors include Yusuf Maitama Sule, late Osita Osadebe, late Oliver de Coque, King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, late Nelly Uchendu, John Momoh, Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Osaze Odemwingie and Emmanuel Emenike.

Others are rapper MI Abaga, D’Banj, PSquare, Patience Ozokwor; Funke Akindele, Monalisa Chinda, Stella Damasus, Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Mercy Johnson, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Stephanie Okereke, Kate Henshaw, Di’ja, Flavour, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Wande Coal, MI Abaga, Ego, Chi the Voice, Korede Bello, Reekado Banks, Basketmouth, Gordons, I go Dye, Juliet Ibrahim, Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari, Matter Ankomah, Joselyn Dumas, Michael Essien, former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Anthony Joshua, World Hurdles Champion, Tobi Amusan, and recently music stars Asake, Kizz Daniel and Chike.

While the commercials that featured these stars became popular among the general public, the stars themselves further spread the popularity of the Glo brand among their millions of fans.

In the area of building bridges, Adenuga impacted positively on the Alliance Francaise, which is committed to promoting French culture and teaching French as a second language around the world. For several decades, the centre was located in the boisterous area of Yaba, Lagos. But thanks to the generosity of Adenuga, who erected a new home for the organization in Ikoyi that was aptly named the Mike Adenuga Centre. Since it was opened to the public in April 2018, the centre has received commendations from far and near, from art aficionados, artists, and preeminent Nigerians.

Adenuga’s priority was to build up Glo as a network of stars. And he really did this. In history, no corporate organization has had the kind of constellation of entertainment heavyweights as its brand ambassadors as Globacom. The cream of the country’s musicians, footballers, actors and comedians have either been signed on as brand ambassadors or featured in the company’s commercials.

Perhaps, it’s not for nothing that RMD, one of the foremost Nollywood actors once expressed his profound gratitude to the billionaire business magnate for his immense contribution to the industry.

In his birthday message, RMD wrote, “Thank you for recognizing the vibrancy of the cultural landscape and being the biggest supporter of entertainment and arts in Africa. Thank you for believing in the youth of Nigeria and Africa and for empowering them by supporting their dreams. Here’s wishing you many more years of pleasure in good health and sound mind.”

As he celebrated his 71st birthday on Monday, April 29, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. has left a footprint that would be difficult to erase in the Nigerian entertainment circuit. As a matter of fact, his contribution to the growth of the industry is tantamount to a wake up call to corporate organizations and individuals alike to follow Adenuga’s footprints and give back to Nigerian society that made them who they are today.