Representatives from across the digital-for-development global community will meet to assess progress and establish a joint vision for using tech for the good of all at the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, from 7 to 11 July, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The event, building on two decades of action to shape the digital world, will address global technological challenges such as artificial intelligence (AI), review progress on UN technology-for-development priorities, and explore emerging tech trends.​

“For twenty years, WSIS has been uniting the world around a vision of an information society that works for everyone, everywhere,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “The WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 sets the stage for strengthening this proven multistakeholder framework for digital development so that humanity can benefit for decades to come.” ​The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003 and 2005 established the framework and goals of the WSIS process.

The WSIS Forum is an integral part of the process and is the only international mechanism mandated by the UN General Assembly to coordinate global work on the role of digital transformation in development issues. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for digital technologies, organizes WSIS Forum activities. The WSIS+20 High Level Event 2025 comes in advance of a formal review by the General Assembly in September that will adopt the vision of WSIS beyond 2025.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu has underscored the importance of effective resource management, emphasizing the Agency’s responsibility in administering public funds for the benefit of Nigeria.

The EVC stated this while declaring open one-day sensitization workshop on Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) policy and guidelines for financial managers of NASENI in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja this week.

The workshop was  aimed at enhancing financial management practices for NASENI principal officers, directors, managing directors and accounting officers system-wide.

Urging the participants to take the workshop with all sense of purpose, the EVC/CEO called for accurate financial record-keeping and the adoption of innovative processes which remain integral in the GIFMIS policy. He stressed the significance of staff training and capacity development to ensure the discharge of duties to make NASENI a preferred public sector employer in Nigeria.

While warning staff on classified documents, Mr. Halilu said confidentiality in financial management is a crucial aspect and called for strict adherence to public service regulations regarding the integrity of official information.

He further emphasized the Agency’s 3Cs initiative of Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization as NASENI’s core operating principles, expressing confidence in achieving the Agency’s goals in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Deputy Programme Manager, System Support and Sustainability Directorate, OAGF, Mr. Jeremiah Asanato, giving overview of the GIFMIS, said it is aimed at integrating budgeting and government expenditure. He emphasized that the policy will help to address irregularities, corruption, and other fraudulent activities in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Today April 29^th is a special day. It is the birthday anniversary of Otunba Dr. Mike Adenuga, Chairman of Globacom and Conoil PLC, amongst other flourishing companies who turn 71 years old.  A special gift to Nigeria, Dr. Adenuga is a colossus. He is renowned for his business acumen.

When it is comes to business, he’s got the vision. He can see good fortune light years ahead while others are still pandering whether it is feasible. Dr. Adenuga is unafraid to venture where others fear to tread.  Fondly called ‘The Bull’ for his fearless and zeal to take “No” for an answer, he’s got this Midas touch that is unparalleled.

Oil, Gas Transformations

 He transformed the face of Nigerian oil, banking, and telecommunications industries. In 1991, when oil mining and production was controlled by foreign multinational oil companies, Dr. Adenuga’s indigenous oil company was the first to start drilling crude oil. Today, Conoil has metamorphosed into one of the largest African-owned oil conglomerates on the continent with footprints in the upstream, midstream and downstream of the oil and gas sector. 

His forays into the bank industry are well documented where he brought a fresh energy and bespoke financial services with Devcom Merchant Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank (ETB) which later merged into Sterling Bank.

Changing Telecom Services Narrative

If there is anyone who has single-handed transformed Nigerian telecommunications industry, that person is no other than Dr. Adenuga. His tenacity to recover his Digital Mobile Licence (DML) which his company won in 2001 mobile auction but was illegally taken away from him, paid off in 2003 when his company Globacom won the Second National Operator (SNO) licence.

In September 2003, Globacom transformed the Nigerian telecoms market in particular and Africa in general being the first Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) operator to launch operations with Per Second Billing, Multimedia Service (MMS), Mobile Internet, in additional to plethora of communications suites.

Glo crashed the price of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card, leaving other foreign mobile networks scratching their heads in the GSM wars that changed the face of telecom, bringing down the price of SIM Card from N50,000 down to N100 and later to One Naira (N1) only.

Millions of Nigerians became overnight owners of mobile phones lines courtesy of the competition engendered by Glo. Every major step Glo took from the day it commenced operation, other mobile competitors were jittery, helpless and followed the initiative in other to remain in the market.

After establishing the footprints of Glo in Nigeria, Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jr.), also took the telecom giant to Ghana and Benin Republic with mobile operating licences in those countries. Unsatisfied with the routing of calls from Africa countries to Europe then to Africa, he built Glo-1, the first submarine cable system that was solely financed by an individual. Today, Glo-1 links global telecom networks, data centres, banks and Interconnect houses.

Globacom unfazed has going a notch higher with Glo-2 ensuring that Nigerian cities, towns and villages and oil companies are connected to terrestrial fibres through its landing stations in Lagos and Niger Delta.

Digital Financial Services

Dr Adenuga, a man who can see opportunities from afar, has took the lead in procuring Super-Agent licence for Agency Banking and Mobile Money licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the establishment of Glo Mobile Money and Money Master Payment Service Bank Limited, a Digital Bank delivering financial inclusion services to Nigerians especially in rural, semi-rural and urban areas thus connecting them to the formal sector.

Man flowing with Milk of Human Kindness

The humanitarian side of this famous Nigerian billionaire is incomparable. Although, coming from a middle-class family, Dr. Mike Adenuga’s (Jr.) academic sojourn in the United States of America and the everyday life lessons internalized from his parents, Chief Michael Agbolade Adenuga (Snr) and Madam Oyindamola Adenuga, shaped his worldview and brought out his humane side in the way he deals with people and businesses.

He has been a major supporter of sports, especially football (Nigerian national teams). He has massively sponsored the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards for many years. He was honoured the title of Pillar of Football in Africa for his strong support for African Football at both national and continental. He has quietly rendered support to many without seeking media attention.
Through him, Glo sponsors the annual Ojude Oba festival in Ijebuland and also the Ofala festival in Onitsha, Anambra amongst others, promoting Nigeria’s rich culture.

 Humble Beginnings

A man of outstanding wisdom, Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jr.) was born Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga on April 29, 1953 at Ibadan, Oyo State. His father was a school teacher while his mother was an outstanding businesswoman.

Dr. Adenuga (Jr) is an alumnus of the famous Ibadan Grammar School, North Western State University, Alva Oklahoma; and Pace University, New York, both in the United States of America where he majored in business administration with emphasis in marketing. As a student in the USA, he supported himself with jobs as a taxi driver and security guard.

Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jr) is a visionary leader, an outstanding entrepreneur and and manager of people and resources. He is a man of uncommon intellect and wisdom have helped him overcome difficult times. Today, he sits atop a vast telecom, oil and gas (Conoil), banking and real estate investments.

As Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jr) clocks 71 years on Monday April 29th, 2024, SiliconNigeria.ng wishes him a marvelous birthday and many happy returns in good health in the service of the fatherland.