President John Mahama congratulating Dr Mike Adenuga after decorating him with Ghana’s highest national civilian honour, the Companion Of The Star Of Ghana (CSG)
Nigeria’s successful businessman, Dr Mike Adenuga Jr, was on Saturday conferred with Ghana’s highest, the Companion Of The Star Of Ghana (CSG), Civil Division.
President John Mahama conferred the award on the Globacom chairman on Saturday, along with 32 others at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
The awardees, comprising 26 Ghanaians and seven foreigners, were honoured in three categories – the Companion of The Order of the Volta, Officer of The Order of The Volta and Member of The Order of The Volta.
They all served in different areas of disciplines, including public service, judiciary, education, voluntarism, philanthropy, sports, medicine and statesmanship.
President Mahama said Dr Adenuga was honoured in recognition of his “unique and outstanding contribution to business enterprise both in Ghana and the continent of Africa at large.”
“Through your creative business exertions, you have touched many lives in Ghana. You have provided employment for our teeming youth, artists, footballers and many more. I am particularly proud of you. This award is our way of saying a simple Thank You,” the president stated.
A citation signed by the president said, “Throughout Africa, you are acclaimed as one of the most astute and successful entrepreneur and investor, controlling one of the continent’s largest business empires, comprising oil and gas, telecommunications, aviation, banking and real estate.”
The citation commended his “transformational achievements in the telecommunications industry”, chief of which was the laying of the Glo 1 optic fibre cable linking several African countries, including Ghana with Europe and America.
President Mahama lauded Dr Adenuga’s contribution to telecommunications in Ghana since Glo Mobile’s launch and lauded the huge investment in the project.
The president mentioned that Dr Adenuga’s investment decisions and his persistent and affirmative support for sports have earned him honours all over Africa.
He said that this was one of the strong reasons that recommended Dr Adenuga for Ghana’s highest civilian honour.
Dr Adenuga, in his acceptance remarks, stated that President Mahama’s “recognition and support of my modest contributions to the development of Ghana’s economy have come as a great source of pride and encouragement to me. This is more so as it is coming from Your Excellency, whose sterling qualities of leadership I admire greatly”.
Dr Adenuga’s Glo Mobile is a leading telecommunication services provider in Ghana. Besides providing direct and indirect employment opportunities to thousands of Ghanaians, Glo Mobile Ghana has, since launch in 2012, been the pacesetter in innovation, excellent service delivery and consumer loyalty reward in the country’s telecom market, particularly in the data segment.
The Nigerian business tycoon was in 2012 conferred with the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by the Federal Government. GCON is the highest honour for a civilian who is not in government in the country.