Mike Adenuga was declared the second richest Nigerian billionaire on March 9th, 2011 by Forbes Magazine. <br /><br />Adenuga, Nigeria's second richest man, built his fortune in telecom and oil production.<br /><br /><br />His mobile phone network, Globacom, is the second largest operator in Nigeria, with 37 million subscribers.<br /><br />His oil exploration outfit, Conoil Producing, operates 6 oil blocks in the Niger Delta.<br /><br />How did he emerge as one of the richest black billionaires?<br /><br />Born on April 29, 1953, in Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria to Chief Michael Agbolade Adenuga and Chief Mrs. Onyindamola Adenuga<br /><br />At his birth, it was said that he was large that they called him <br />“John the Bull,” which stayed with him until he grew up.<br /><br />Adenuga got an undergraduate degree at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and MBA at Pace University in New York., <br /><br />He worked as a security guard and a cab driver to pay for his tuition <br /><br />He returned to Nigeria after graduation and took the role of taking over his family’s sawmill<br /><br />He made his first million at age 26 selling lace and distributing soft drinks.<br /><br />Adenuga was awarded CEO of the by Thisday in 2004. <br /><br />He was named African Entrepreneur of the Year at the maiden African Telecoms Awards (ATA) on August 15, 2007.<br /><br /> In the same year, he was awarded the Nigerian Information Technology and Telecommunication (NITTA).<br /><br />They awarded him the Man of the Year for his contributions to the growth of telecommunication in Africa. <br /><br />Mike Adenuga’s story is a story of courage, brevity, and persistence. <br /><br />If he had given up or had he refused to take the risk and drill for oil, he wouldn’t have made to the Forbes list of billionaires.
